ReviewArthroplasty (London, England)2020
A comparison between barbed suture and conventional suture in total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Arthroplasty (London, England), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Incidence and outcome characteristics of adverse event in surgery: an assessment based on systematic reviews of barbed suture.BMC medical research methodology · 2025Pooled it
- Continuous barbed suturing improves early recovery after primary total knee arthroplasty: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Trial
- Article
- Clinical Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Open Abdominal or Orthopedic Surgery with Wound Closure Incorporating Triclosan-Coated Barbed Sutures: A Multi-Institutional, Retrospective Database Study.Medical devices (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Article
- [Surgical suture material-fundamentals].Operative Orthopadie und Traumatologie · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of barbed versus conventional sutures in total knee arthroplasty.
methodsTwo investigators independently performed data extraction and assessed study quality using the keywords "barbed suture, wound suture, total knee arthroplasty" in two search trials, individual trials, and trials from Systematic Reviews or Meta-analyses in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases.
resultA total of 11 articles (involving 1546 total knee arthroplasties) were included in this study. Comparison was made between barbed and conventional sutures in terms of various measures. No significant differences were identified in superficial infection and deep infection (p > 0.51; odds ratio 0.84 [95% confidence interval, 0.50, 1.4] and p > 0.28; odds ratio 0.50 [95% confidence interval, 0.14, 1.75], respectively). There was no significant difference in time for capsular suture (p < 0.05; odds ratio - 4.05 [95% confidence interval, - 4.39, - 3.71]). There existed no significant differences in Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score and Knee Society Score (p > 0.05; odds ratio - 1.20 [95% confidence interval, - 2.98, 0.58] and p > 0.05; odds ratio - 1.62 [95% confidence interval, - 4.06, 0.18], respectively). No significant differences were revealed in suture breakage and needle stick injury (p < 0.05; odds ratio 36.51 [95% confidence interval, 7.06, 188.72] and p < 0.05; odds ratio 0.16 [95% confidence interval, 0.04, 0.72], respectively). No significant difference was exhibited in dehiscence (p = 0.99; odds ratio 0.99 [95% confidence interval, 0.41, 2.38]).
conclusionIn total knee arthroplasty, both barbed and conventional sutures yielded similar results in terms of superficial and deep infection, Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score, Knee Society Score, and wound dehiscence. Barbed suture was associated with higher incidence of suture breakage, shorter suture time, and less needle stick injury.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.