Tensile Strength of Nylon Sutures Versus Polyglycolic Acid Sutures Immersed in Camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) and Tumbo (Passiflora tripartita) Juices: A Linear Regression Model

Objective: To evaluate the predictors of tensile strength of nylon and polyglycolic acid when immersed in Peruvian camu camu and tumbo juices. Methods: An in vitro experimental and comparative study was conducted following the CRIS guidelines for reporting laboratory studies. A total of 192 samples of sutures were tested under laboratory conditions, measuring their initial resistance at days 3, 7, and 14. The juices, prepared in an artisanal way to preserve their natural characteristics, were monitored for pH daily. Mechanical tests were performed using a digital tensile machine, and data were analyzed with Stata 17.0 statistical software using Student’s t-tests and linear regression. Results: Both materials displayed a timewise decrease in strength, with polyglycolic acid being stronger than nylon at all time points measured. At time 0 polyglycolic acid and nylon were noted as 12.23 ± 0.40 N and 8.94 ± 0.17 N, respectively. At day 14 polyglycolic acid and nylon were noted as 11.24 ± 0.38 N and 7.59 ± 0.38 N, respectively. The camu camu juice and the tumbo juice displayed similar effects (p > 0.05), and pH was the only feature to display a significant decrease per unit variation (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Such a conclusion tends to confirm the greater acid resistance of polyglycolic acid over nylon and adds more weight to pH as a variable affecting suture degradation. We may learn to make more intelligent choices of absorbable sutures at the operating table.