Staples Linked to Higher Risk for Infection After Joint Surgery Medscape

Description: March 23, 2010 — The risk for infection after joint surgery is higher with staples vs traditional stitches, according to the results of a meta-analysis reported in the March 16 issue of the BMJ. (BMJ. 2010;340:c403, c1199)
In 6 publications reporting on a total of 683 wounds, 332 patients underwent wound closure with sutures, and 351 underwent closure with staples. Compared with suture closure, staple closure was associated with more than triple the risk for the development of a superficial wound infection after orthopaedic surgery.