Riassunto dello studio

Sixty-two patients who were scheduled to undergo a primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were randomized to receive wound closure with either staples (n=31) or subcuticular suturing (n=31). The primary outcomes of interest included the Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale (HWES) for cosmetic appearance, and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for cosmetic appearance and patient satisfaction. Furthermore, functional and clinical outcomes were assessed with the modified Knee Society Knee Scoring System, arc of motion, and incidence of wound complications. Peri-operative outcomes, including incision size, time to wound closure, length of operation, estimated total blood loss, and length of hospital stay, were further also assessed. All outcomes, excluding peri-operative outcomes, were evaluated at 6 weeks and 3 months post-surgery. The results demonstrated that all outcomes were not statistically significant between groups, except for time to wound closure which was statistically significantly shorter in the staples group (p<0.001).