Randomized controlled trial comparing cosmetic suturing with polydioxanone sutures to conventional interrupted sutures for maxillofacial soft tissue wound closure in children

Background: In the process of wound healing after trauma, continuous reduction of the tension of subcutaneous tissue helps to reduce the formation of scars and achieve better cosmetic results. This study aimed to investigate the cosmetic effect of polydioxanone sutures combined with cosmetic suturing in maxillofacial soft tissue wound closure in children. Methods: 104 children, aged 3 to 10 years with maxillofacial soft tissue trauma, were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The polydioxanone sutures combined with cosmetic suturing was used to close the wound, and the traditional interrupted suturing was used as the control. In the two group, the scar quality was evaluated by Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), and the scar width was measured to evaluate the cosmetic effect of the wound. Results: The surgical time was significantly longer in the intervention group compared to the control group. At 3 months and 6 months follow-up, the VSS score of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the intervention group (p < 0.05), reflecting better scar quality. At 6 months follow-up, the scar width of the intervention group was significantly smaller than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results in this paper suggests that the use of polydioxanone sutures combined with cosmetic suturing in children’s facial soft tissue trauma can obtain continuous tension reduction effect at the wound, reduce scar tissue hyperplasia and obtain ideal cosmetic effect, while improving the overall quality of pediatric wound treatment. Clinical Trial Registration: The registration number in the Chinese Clinical Registration Center was ChiCTR2400094703.

Cosmetic suture; Polydioxanone; Maxillofacial trauma; Children

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