Knotless Tendon Repair with a Resorbable Barbed Suture: An In-vivo Comparison in the Turkey Foot.

Background: Un-knotted barbed suture constructs are postulated to decrease repair bulk and improve tension loading along the entire repair site resulting in beneficial biomechanical repair properties. Applying this repair technique to tendons has shown good results in ex-vivo experiments previously but thus far no in-vivo study could confirm these. Therefore, this current study was conducted to assess the value of un-knotted barbed suture repairs in the primary repair of flexor tendons in an in-vivo setting. Methods: Two groups of 10 turkeys (Meleagris gallapovos) were used. All turkeys underwent surgical zone II flexor tendon laceration repairs. In group one, tendons were repaired using a traditional four-strand cross-locked cruciate (Adelaide) repair, while in group two, a four-strand knotless barbed suture 3D repair was used. Postoperatively repaired digits were casted in functional position, and animals were left free to mobilise and full weight bear, resembling a high-tension post-op rehabilitation protocol. Surgeries and rehabilitations went uneventful and no major complications were noted. The turkeys were monitored for 6 weeks before the repairs were re-examined and assessed against several outcomes, such as failure rate, repair bulk, range of motion, adhesion formation and biomechanical stability. Results: In this high-tension in-vivo tendon repair experiment, traditionally repaired tendons performed significantly better when comparing absolute failure rates and repair stability after 6 weeks. Nevertheless, the knotless barbed suture repairs that remained intact demonstrated benefits in all other outcome measures, including repair bulk, range of motion, adhesion formation and operating time. Conclusions: Previously demonstrated ex-vivo benefits of flexor tendon repairs with resorbable barbed sutures may not be applicable in an in-vivo setting due to significant difference in repair stability and failure rates. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic).

Factors impacting informed consent in cosmetic breast augmentation.

BACKGROUND: For women who undergo cosmetic breast augmentation, their post-operative risk assessment may not match their pre-operative understanding of the involved risks and likelihood of revision surgeries. This may be due to the potential issues surrounding whether patients are being fully informed about all possible risks and related financial implications during the consent phases of patient/doctor consultation. METHODS: To explore comprehension, risk preference, and perceptions of breast augmentation procedure, we conducted a recorded online experiment with 178 women (18-40 years) who received varying amounts of risk-related information from two experienced breast surgeons in a hypothetical first consultation scenario. RESULTS: We find patient's age, self-rated health, income, education level, and openness to experience to be significant factors impacting initial breast augmentation risk preferences (before receiving any risk information). Further, more emotionally stable patients perceived greater breast augmentation risks, were less likely to recommend breast augmentation, and were more likely to acknowledge the likelihood for future revision surgery. After providing women with risk-related information we find increases in risk assessment in all treatment conditions, and that increased amounts of risk information do decrease women's willingness to recommend breast augmentation. But that increased risk information does not appear to increase women's assessment of the likelihood of future revision surgery. Finally, we find some participant individual differences (such as education level, having children, conscientiousness and emotional stability) appear to impact risk assessment post receiving risk information. CONCLUSION: Continuous improvement of the informed consent consultation process is vital to optimising patient outcomes efficiently and cost-effectively. Greater acknowledgement and emphasis on disclosure of related risks and financial burden when complications arise is also important. As such, future behavioural research is warranted into the factors impacting women's understanding both prior to and across the BA informed consent process.

Cyclic Testing of a Modified Pull-Out Suture Repair Technique for Flexor Digitorum Profundus Avulsion in a Turkey Foot Model.

Background: Numerous repair techniques have been described for closed flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) avulsion. One option is a pull-out suture tied over the nail plate (Bunnell repair). We modified the Bunnell repair by incorporating a portion of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint volar plate into the repair to improve strength and reduce gapping. The aim of this study is to compare gap formation and load to failure between the Bunnell repair and our modification in a turkey foot model. Methods: Twenty-four fresh-frozen cadaveric turkey feet were divided into two repair groups namely the conventional Bunnell pull-out suture technique and the modified Bunnell pull-out suture technique, incorporating the middle-third of the DIP joint volar plate into the repair. Both repairs were carried out with 3-0 prolene suture and underwent ex-vivo cyclic loading at 2-12 n in a sinusoidal wave for 100 cycles to simulate a passive range of motion (ROM) protocol. Subsequently, specimens were loaded to failure at 12 mm/minute. Gap formation and load to failure were measured. Results: No repair ruptures occurred during cyclical testing. Mean gap formation was 9.2 mm (±1.49) in the Bunnell repair, and 3.5 mm (±1.19) in the modified Bunnell repair (p < 0.0001). The mean load to failure for the Bunnell repair was 35.4 n compared to 45 n for the modified repair (p = 0.0017). Conclusions: Gap formation was reduced and load to failure increased by augmenting the Bunnell pull-out suture repair with the central portion of the DIP joint volar plate.

Cognitive Bias and Therapy Choice in Breast Reconstruction Surgery Decision-Making.

BACKGROUND: Understanding how medical experts and their patients process and transfer information is of critical importance for efficient health care provision. Behavioral economics has explored similar credence markets where economic incentives, information asymmetry, and cognitive bias can impact patient and surgeon choice. The aim of the current study is to explore how framing and behavioral bias affect elective restorative surgery decision-making, such as breast reconstruction following cancer treatment. METHODS: The authors' study uses a cross-sectional survey data set of specialist surgeons (n = 53), breast care nurses (n = 101), and former or current breast cancer patients (n = 689). Data collected include participant demographics, medical history, a battery of cognitive bias tests, and a behavioral framing experiment. RESULTS: This study finds statistically significant differences in breast reconstruction surgery preference by patients and nurses when decision options are framed in different ways (i.e., positively versus negatively). The authors' analysis of surgeons, nurses, and patients shows no statistically significant difference across eight common forms of cognitive bias. Rather, the authors find that the behavioral biases are prevalent to the same extent in each group. This may indicate that differences in experience and education seem not to mitigate biases that may affect patient choices and medical professional's recommendations. The authors' multivariate analysis identifies patient age (p < 0.0001), body mass index, and self-perceived health (p < 0.05) as negative correlates for choice of implant-based reconstruction. CONCLUSION: For surgeons, nurses, and patients, the authors find uniform evidence of cognitive bias; more specifically, for patients and nurses, the authors find inconsistency in preference for type of surgical therapy chosen when alternative procedures are framed in different ways (i.e., framing bias).

Exploring Surgeons', Nurses', and Patients' Information Seeking Behavior on Medical Innovations: The Case of 3D Printed Biodegradable Implants in Breast Reconstruction.

Objectives: To explore information seeking behavior on medical innovations. Background: While autologous and alloplastic options for breast reconstruction are well established, it is the advent of the combination of 3D printing technology and the biocompatible nature of a highly porous biodegradable implants that offers new treatment options for the future. While this type of prosthesis is not yet clinically available understanding how patients, surgeons, and nurses take up new medical innovations is of critical importance for efficient healthcare provision. Materials and Methods: Using the largest ever combined sample of breast cancer patients (n = 689), specialist surgeons (n = 53), and breast care nurses (n = 101), we explore participants preference for a new surgical treatment concept rooted in 3D printed and biodegradable implant technologies in the context of breast reconstruction. Results: We find that patients overwhelmingly favor information from a successful patient of the proposed new technology when considering transitioning. Surgeons and nurses instead favor regulatory body advice, peer-reviewed journals, and witnessing the procedure performed (either in person or online). But while 1 in 4 nurses nominated talking to a successful patient as an information source, not a single surgeon chose the same. Our multinomial logit analysis exploring patient preference (controlling for individual differences) showed statistically significant results for both the type of surgical treatment and choice to undergo reconstruction. Women who underwent a type of mastectomy procedure (compared with lumpectomy patients) were more likely to choose a former patient than a surgeon for seeking information relating to a new breast implant technology. Further, women who chose to undergo a reconstruction procedure, compared with those who did not, where more likely to prefer a surgeon for information relating to a new breast implant technology, rather than a successful patient. For medical professionals, we find no statistically significant relationship between medical professionals' preference and their age, nor the number of other medical professionals they work with daily, nor the average number of breast procedures performed in their practice on a weekly basis. Conclusions: As our findings show large variation exists (both within our patient group and compared with medical professionals) in where individuals favor information on new medical innovations, future behavioral research is warranted.

Quantification of Head Shape and Cranioplasty Outcomes: Six-compartment Volume Method Applied to Sagittal Synostosis.

BACKGROUND: Premature fusion of the sagittal (midline) suture between 2 parietal bones is the most common form of craniosynostosis. Surgical correction is mandated to improve head shape and to decrease the risk of raised intracranial pressure. This study evaluated the utility of 3-dimensional (3D) imaging to quantify the volumetric changes of surgical correction. Currently there is no standardized method used to quantify the outcomes of surgery for craniosynostosis, with the cranial index (width: length ratio) being commonly used. METHODS: A method for quantification of head shape using 3D imaging is described in which the cranium is divided up into 6 compartments and the volumes of 6 compartments are quantified and analyzed. The method is size invariant, meaning that it can be used to assess the long-term postoperative outcomes of patients through growth. The method is applied to a cohort of sagittal synostosis patients and a normal cohort, and is used to follow up a smaller group of synostotic patients 1, 2, and 3 years postoperatively. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the results shows that the 6-compartment volume quantification method is more accurate in separating normal from synostotic patient head shapes than the cranial index. CONCLUSIONS: Spring-mediated cranioplasty does not return head shape back to normal, but results in significant improvements in the first year following surgery compared with the preoperative sagittal synostosis head shape. 3D imaging can be a valuable tool in assessing the volumetric changes due to surgery and growth in craniosynstosis patients.

Influence of locking stitch size in a four-strand cross-locked cruciate flexor tendon repair.

PURPOSE: The 4-strand cross-locked cruciate technique (Adelaide technique) for repairing flexor tendons in zone II is a favorable method in terms of strength and simplicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of varying the cross-lock stitch size in this repair technique. Outcomes measured were load to failure and gap formation. METHODS: We harvested 22 deep flexor tendons from adult pig forelimbs and randomly allocated them into 2 groups. After cutting the tendons at a standard point, we performed a 4-strand cross-locked cruciate repair using 3-0 braided polyester with either 2-mm cross-locks (n = 11) or 4-mm cross-locks (n = 11). All repairs were completed with a simple running peripheral suture using 6-0 polypropylene. Repaired tendons were loaded to failure and the mechanism of failure, load to failure, stiffness, and load to 2-mm gap formation were determined. RESULTS: All repairs failed by suture breakage; we noted no suture pullout. There was no difference in load to failure (71.7-71.1 N; p = .89) or stiffness (4.1-4.6 N/mm; p = .23) between the 2-mm cross-lock and the 4-mm cross-lock groups. There was a trend toward higher resistance to 2-mm gap formation with the 4-mm cross-locks (55-62.2 N; p = .07). CONCLUSIONS: Four-strand cross-locked cruciate repairs with cross-lock sizes of 2 and 4 mm provide high tensile strength and are resistant to pullout. Repairs with 4-mm cross-locks tend to provide a more central load distribution and better gapping resistance than repairs with 2-mm cross-locks.