Evaluation of dural closure techniques. Suture methods, fibrin adhesive sealant, and cyanoacrylate polymer.

A study was undertaken to investigate the relative strengths of dural repair using standard suture techniques, suture supplemented with tissue adhesive, and tissue adhesive alone. The efficacy of two tissues adhesives, fibrin adhesive sealant and cyanoacrylate polymer, as adjunctive or the sole means of effecting dural closure, was studied. In vitro analysis of repair techniques was accomplished using fresh human cadaveric dura. Uniform 4 mm defects were created, repaired using various techniques, and then subjected to pressurization testing. Defects repaired with suture alone leaked at pressurization levels within the physiologic range, while those supplemented with tissue adhesives failed at higher pressurization levels. In vitro testing, accomplished in white New Zealand rabbits, supported this conclusion. Histologic sections obtained from dura treated with fibrin adhesive sealant demonstrated minimal inflammatory response, while those sections obtained at the site of dural repair augmented with cyanoacrylate polymer featured significant inflammatory responses, including dural thinning, gliosis, and cortical necrosis. Results indicate that a new substance, fibrin adhesive sealant, appears to have application as an adjunctive means of effecting dural closure.