Infections in neurosurgery: a randomized comparison between silk and polyglycolic acid.

Silk or polyglycolic acid (PGA) was chosen at random for 1,011 patients operated on in the department during a 19 month period in 1981. There was no difference in the incidence of serious infections between the two groups. A significantly higher incidence of suture fistulas in the silk group indicates the use of PGA for buried sutures.