Intradermal sutures in facial lacerations. Comparative study of clear monofilament nylon and polyglycolic acid.

A blind study comparing the clinical inflammatory response of intradermal clear monofilament nylon sutures with polyglycolic acid sutures was carried out on 106 patients with facial lacerations. There were no clinically apparent infections in either group of sutures. Intradermal monofilament nylon was associated with significantly less inflammatory response than similarly placed polyglycolic acid sutures. The lesser inflammatory response, the tolerance to infection, and the greatly prolonged tensile strength of monofilament nylon are factors that lend support to its being the superior intradermal suture in facial lacerations.