The effect of α-cyanoacrylates on wound healing

The use of cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives provides a quick method of closing wounds by nonsuture techniques. This study was undertaken to determine the relative effects on healing of a number of alkyl α-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives compared to sutured incisions. Tissue bonds were prepared with the alkyl α-cyanoacrylate adhesives and sutures and tested for bond strength in vivo in rats over periods of 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days. A trend of increasing bond strength with the higher homologs was immediately apparent. However, this trend was reversed at the time of the 14 day measurements with the higher homologs of the cyanoacrylate adhesives having the lower bond strength. Microscopic examination of pulled wounds closed with methyl α-cyanoacrylate showed the cause to be substrate failure with the exception of the one hour postoperative samples which demonstrated adhesive failure. Wound failure in the remaining three monomers was cohesive, gradually decreasing to substrate failure at 10 days postoperative. The tensile strength of all wounds closed with tissue adhesive dropped considerably on the third day postoperative.