Effect of fibrin glues on the mechanical properties of healing wounds.

Tissue glues are important in clinical practice. Fibrin based glues have many advantages over non-biological adhesives. The optimum formulation of these glues measured by their effect on mechanical properties of healing wounds has not been determined. Using a model involving standard dorsal skin incisions in adult male Wistar rats various glue formulations were compared by varying the fibrinogen, thrombin and factor XIII concentrations. Calcium (40 mumol/ml) and aprotinin (3000 kallidinogenase inactivator units, KIu/ml) concentrations were kept constant. Animals were killed at 8 days and wounds excised. Standard strips of these wounds were mechanically tested using an Instron tensiometer and the stress, strain, elasticity and work required to rupture wounds were calculated. Results indicate that a fibrin glue with a fibrinogen concentration of approximately 39 g/l and a thrombin concentration of 200-600 units/ml with no added factor XIII will result in wounds with significantly increased stress, energy absorption and elasticity values.