Evaluation of Healing Intervals of Incisional Skin Wounds of Goats Closed with Three Suture Patterns

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the healing intervals among simple interrupted (SI), ford interlocking (FI) and subcuticular (SC) suture patterns in goats. We hypothesized that these common suture patterns used for closure of incisional skin wounds may have effect on the healing interval. To test this hypothesis, two parameters (subjective healing interval and histologic objective healing interval) were used to investigate the healing interval of the three suture patterns. Our findings showed that, there was significant differences (P<0.05) in subjective healing interval between subcuticular (SC) withford interlocking (FI), but there was no
significant difference between subcuticular with simple interrupted patterns. There were also no significant differences between ford-interlocking and simple interrupted. Histologic findings at seventh day post surgery revealed low polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) infiltrations and early fibroblast, collagen fibers and epidermal keratinization in the subcuticular group in comparison with the two other groups. At fourteen day post-surgery, there was marked reduction of inflammatory infiltrates in the subcuticular group when compare with the two other groups, while the collagen fiber density and epidermal keratinization increased in the subcuticular group. At twenty first-day post - surgery , there were no inflammatory cells in subcuticular group, while collagen density was higher, and the orientation of the collagen fibers were horizontal, suggestive of faster healing in comparison with the simple interrupted and ford interlocking groups. It was concluded as measured by subjective healing interval and histologic objective healing interval that surgical skin-wound closed by subcuticular suture pattern alone healed faster than simple interrupted and ford interlocking suture patterns reinforced after subcuticular closure, on the other hand simple interrupted pattern healed faster than ford interlocking.

Keywords: Incisional wound healing, histology, goat, suture patterns, healing interval