Initial wound healing following interrupted closing sutures with versus without tension-relieving mattress suture in guided bone regeneration: a preliminary randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: This prospective clinical study aimed to evaluate whether adding a tension-relieving horizontal mattress suture to simple interrupted sutures influences the occurrence and severity of postoperative wound dehiscence in horizontal guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedures.

METHODS

Forty patients requiring horizontal GBR, either prior to or simultaneous with implant placement, were randomly allocated to 2 groups. Group "S" received simple interrupted sutures only, whereas group "S+H" received additional horizontal mattress sutures placed prior to interrupted sutures to relieve flap tension. At 2 weeks postoperatively, wound dehiscence width (DW), wound dehiscence length (DL), and the wound dehiscence length/incision-line ratio (DL/i) were measured. The occurrence rate of any dehiscence was also recorded. DW was designated as the primary outcome, whereas DL, DL/i, and dehiscence occurrence were secondary outcomes. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, the Mann-Whitney U test for comparisons of DW and DL, and the χ² test for dehiscence occurrence. A significance level of P<0.05 was applied.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for DW (group S: 2.92±2.73 mm; group S+H: 2.17±2.51 mm), DL (group S: 5.32±5.49 mm; group S+H: 4.37±4.65 mm), or DL/i (group S: 0.42±0.41; group S+H: 0.34±0.38) (all P>0.05). The occurrence rate of wound dehiscence was 60% in group S and 55% in group S+H, with no statistically significant difference between groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Both simple interrupted sutures alone and simple interrupted sutures combined with an additional tension-relieving horizontal mattress suture may be considered clinically acceptable approaches for achieving primary closure in horizontal GBR procedures.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0010574.