Comparative study of surgical wound closure with nylon interrupted sutures and running subcuticular vicryl rapide suture after open release of the carpal tunnel.

Surgery for carpal tunnel decompression is considered the method of choice for its treatment with documented satisfactory results. Various methods and suturing materials have been used for closure of the surgical wound. In the present study, we compared the use of a non-absorbable suture, placed intermittently to an absorbable continuous intradermal suture. A total of twenty patients were included in the study. Half of them had their wound closed with the absorbable suture and the other half with the non-absorbable suture, as described above. All patients were evaluated as far as pain, scar characteristics, functional outcomes of the operated hand and incidence of infection, at two and six weeks after surgery. After analysis of the data, no significant differences were found between the two groups, suggesting that both of these techniques are equally safe and efficacious.