Efficacy of polyglycolic acid (Dexon) microsutures in peripheral nerve anastomoses in the rat: 1. Epineural suture.

The efficacy of polyglycolic acid (Dexon) microsuture in peripheral nerve repair was studied using 84 and 28 reanastomoses of freshly severed rat sciatic nerve employing Dexon and nylon 9-0 interrupted epineural suture technique. Animals were sacrificed and sutured portions of the nerves were histologically examined. There were almost identical suture reactions by day 7, except that the intensity of polymorphonuclear (PMN) and macrophage infiltrate in the nylon-sutured nerves was far greater than in the Dexon-sutured group. Although the intensity of the nylon-suture reaction subsided considerably after day 21, the lymphocytes, macrophages, and plasma cells surrounded the suture as long as the sutures remained in the nerves up to 12 months postoperatively. The Dexon-sutured nerve segments showed disappearance of the inflammatory cells as soon as the sutures were completely absorbed. The Dexon sutures were still detectable at months 1 and 2 but not after month 3.