A comparative biomechanical study of the looped square slip knot and the simple surgical knot.

The looped square slip knot was introduced as a technique for skin closure to avoid the use of sharp instruments in suture removal after hand surgery. We compared the biomechanical properties of this knot with the simple surgical square knot. The ultimate strength of the looped square slip knot was significantly (p = 0.015) higher than the simple surgical knot. There was no significant difference between the two knots in mode of failure. Knot slippage or suture breakage did not occur in any samples when testing security by repetitive loading. Therefore, the looped square slip knot is a safe and convenient alternative to the two-throw surgical knot for use in hand surgery.