Staples significantly increase risk of postoperative infection study

March 2010

Original Link

The use of staples to close wounds following orthopedic surgery – especially
hip surgery – is associated with a significantly greater risk of wound infection
than traditional suturing, according to orthopedic researchers from Norwich,
England.

Six clinical trials

Toby O. Smith, MSc, BSc (Hons), MCSP, and colleagues analyzed the results of
six trials that compared staples and sutures used for wound closure following
orthopedic procedures in adult patients. The six clinical trials involved 683
wounds. Of these cases, 322 patients underwent suture closure and 351 patients
had staple closure, according to a British Medical Journal press release.

The authors found that wounds closed with staples were more than three times as
likely to develop a superficial wound infection compared to wounds closed with
sutures. In a subgroup analysis of patients undergoing hip surgery, the risk of
developing a wound infection was found to be four times greater after staple
closure than suture closure, according to the release.

Staples not recommended

The researchers found no significant difference between staples and sutures
in the development of inflammation, discharge, dehiscence, necrosis and allergic
reaction.

The authors called for high quality, well-designed trials to confirm their
findings.

Although the quality of evidence from the six trials was generally poor, the
authors concluded, “With the current evidence, however, patients and doctors
should think more carefully about the use of staples for wound closure after hip
and knee surgery.”

•Reference:
Smith TO, Sexton D, Mann C, et al. Sutures versus staples for skin closure in
orthopaedic surgery: meta-analysis. BMJ. [Published online ahead of print March
16, 2010]