Metal Staples Can Lead to Great Infection Risk After Orthopedic Hip Surgery

Researchers from the United Kingdom found that closing wounds with metal staples after hip surgery can lead to a greater risk of infection than using nylon sutures, according to a release from the British Medical Journal.

The release advises orthopedic surgeons to reconsider their use of staples to close wounds after hip or knee surgery while further trials are performed to support the findings. Surgeons often use staples because they are quicker and easier to use, but it has been suggested that staples are more likely to cause infection and may be more expensive, according to the release.

Infections and other wound complications can lead to illness following orthopedic surgery and can increase length of hospital stay or chance of re-admission following surgery, according to the release.

The researchers evaluated 683 wounds closed with nylon sutures and metallic staples — 322 patients were in the suture group and 351 were in the staple group. The patients were part of six trials, according to the release.

Patients under going hip surgery only developed a higher risk of developing a wound infection after staple closure, four times greater than with sutures, according to the release. No significant differences were found between staples and sutures for other complications, including the development of inflammation, discharge, dehiscence (re-opening of a previously closed wound), necrosis and allergic reaction.

Researchers note that high-quality, well-designed trials are needed before any definitive findings can be reported on the risk of infection in staples compared with sutures, but they suggest surgeons should consider how and when to use staples after hip and knee surgery, according to the release.

Read the BMJ's release on staples versus sutures in joint surgery.