Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41220701›Full record

ArticleSurgical neurology international2025

Running subcuticular skin closure with absorbable suture may have a lower deep surgical site infection rate compared to skin staples in open posterior lumbar spine surgery.

Saechin Kim, John G Massoud, Philip Hanna, Serafina F Zotter, Amanda Schillinger, Charles J Culata, Jason J Zhang, Valerie Kiers, Mark P Cote

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical neurology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Saechin KimDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
John G MassoudDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Philip HannaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Serafina F ZotterDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Amanda SchillingerDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Charles J CulataDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Jason J ZhangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Valerie KiersDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Mark P CoteDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Is there a higher risk of surgical site infection (SSI) after posterior lumbar spine surgeries closed with staples versus running subcuticular closures with absorbable suture (RSAS)? Methods: After institutional review board approval, we retrospectively identified open posterior lumbar spine surgical closures utilizing skin staples (staples group: 123 cases) or RSAS (RSAS group: 382 cases) performed by three surgeons who used both methods (2018-2020). Results: The rate of deep SSI in the RSAS group was 1.8% versus 5.7% for the staples group. There were no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities, extent of surgery, and length of hospital stay between the two groups. Although there was a greater percentage of previous surgery at the same site in the RSAS group, their rate of SSI was still lower than that for the staples group. Conclusion: Skin closure with skin staples appeared to have a greater risk for deep SSI (5.7%) versus RSAS (1.8%) for patients undergoing open posterior lumbar surgeries.

Indexed as

Running subcuticular using absorbable sutureSurgical site infectionSurgical skin staples

Identifiers

PMID41220701
PMCPMC12598604

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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.