Influence of suture size on the frictional performance of surgical suture evaluated by a penetration friction measurement approach

Gangqiang Zhang; Xiangqiong Zeng; Yibo Su; F X Borras; Matthijn B de Rooij; Tianhui Ren; Emile van der Heide

doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.02.003

Influence of suture size on the frictional performance of surgical suture evaluated by a penetration friction measurement approach

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2018 Apr:80:171-179. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.02.003. Epub 2018 Feb 3.

Authors

Gangqiang Zhang¹, Xiangqiong Zeng², Yibo Su³, F X Borras⁴, Matthijn B de Rooij⁴, Tianhui Ren⁵, Emile van der Heide⁶

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication of the Ministry of Education, 200240, Shanghai, China; University of Twente, Laboratory for Surface Technology and Tribology, 7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
² University of Twente, Laboratory for Surface Technology and Tribology, 7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Lubricating Materials Laboratory, 201210 Shanghai, China.
³ Brightlands Materials Center, Urmonderbaan 22 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands.
⁴ University of Twente, Laboratory for Surface Technology and Tribology, 7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
⁵ Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication of the Ministry of Education, 200240, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: thren@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁶ University of Twente, Laboratory for Surface Technology and Tribology, 7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands; TU Delft, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands; Ghent University, Soete Laboratory, Technologiepark Zwijnaarde 903, B-9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium.

PMID: 29427933
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2018.02.003

Abstract

The frictional performances of surgical sutures have been found to play a vital role in their functionality. The purpose of this paper is to understand the frictional performance of multifilament surgical sutures interacting with skin substitute, by means of a penetration friction apparatus (PFA). The influence of the size of the surgical suture was investigated. The relationship between the friction force and normal force was considered, in order to evaluate the friction performance of a surgical suture penetrating a skin substitute. The friction force was measured by PFA. The normal force applied to the surgical suture was estimated based on a Hertzian contact model, a finite element model (FEM), and a uniaxial deformation model (UDM). The results indicated that the penetration friction force increased as the size of the multifilament surgical suture increased. In addition, when the normal force was predicted by UDM, it was found that the ratio between the friction force and normal force decreased as the normal force increased. A comparison of the results suggested that the UDM was appropriate in predicting the frictional behavior of surgical suturing.

Keywords: Normal force; Penetration contact model; Penetration friction; Skin substitute; Surgical suture.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Friction
Humans
Materials Testing
Skin, Artificial*
Sutures*
Tensile Strength*