Oral Tissue Reactions To Suture Materials

Objective:The purpose of this study was to histopathologically evaluate the inflammatory reaction incited by suture materials and suture needles in rats'oral tissues.Materials and Methods:1. Four different suture materials, 4-0 silk, 6-0 imported polypropylene with taper needle, 6-0 imported polypropylene with cutting needle and 6-0 domestic-made polypropylene with cutting needle were used in gingival mucosa around incisor tooth of 32 SD rats. Eight animals were used for each test materials.2. Methods of operation: At 1mm distal gingiva of lower incisor tooth, a 5mm incision was performed in a crown-to-root alignment, and interrupted suture were placed through the wound.3. Specimens treatment: eight rats were sacrificed at the first, third, fifth, and seventh days. The sutures and surrounding tissues were retrieved en bloc, and fixed in 10% formalin solution, dehydrated and invested. Following all of this, serial sections of 5μm thickness were cut and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histopathological evaluation under a light microscope. The data were statistically analysed by rank sum test.Results:1. Analysis of rank sum test showed that there was no statistically significant difference in tissue reaction between the imported polypropylene with cutting needle group and the domestic-made polypropylene with cutting needle group(P>0.05).2. Analysis of rank sum test showed that the imported polypropylene with taper needle group was similar to the imported polypropylene with cutting needle group in tissue reaction(P>0.05).3. Micro-suture materials has produced milder tissue reaction than silk at all experimental periods(p<0.05)Conclusions:1.There were no statistically significant difference in tissue reaction between the imported polypropylene with cutting needle group and the domestic-made polyprop -ylene with cutting needle group.2. There was a resemblance between imported polypropylene with taper needle group and imported polypropylene with cutting needle group in tissue reaction at the end periods.3. This study has indicated that the wound sutured with silk maybe has the longer healing time than that sutured with micro-suture materials.