ABSTRACT
Two protocols were used to investigate and compare the biocompatibility of the nonconventional suture material-Cotton Hair Thread (CHT) with conventional silk suture on experimentally induced wounds on rabbits. The results of the study in protocol I showed no significant difference(p > 0.05) in the means of, collagenization, vascularisation, reepithelialization, fibroblasts formation, polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNLs) and macrophage proliferation in groups A and B throughout the study. In protocol II, the means of packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cells (RBC) in rabbits in groups I, II and III showed no significant variations (P > 0.05) throughout the study. The total white blood cells (WBC) count increased significantly (P < 0.05) in group I compared to groups II and III on post-surgery day 3. The means of differential leucocytes such as the neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils and basiophils in the three groups (I, II and III) were statistically not significant (p > 0.05) throughout the study. However, at day 3 post-surgery the means of lymphocytes in rabbits in groups I and II increased significantly (p < 0.05) compared with group III, the control. At day 21 post-surgery, the means of lymphocytes in group I and II were statistically not significant (p > 0.5) but they vary significantly higher (p < 0.05) with group III. Cotton Hair Thread elicited insignificant haematological and serum biochemical changes compared to the conventional silk suture material. The means of bacterial load were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) in the two groups (I and II) throughout the study. It was therefore concluded that non conventional suture material (CHT) produces less tissue reactions in rabbits. Thus, CHT is biocompatible and could therefore be used in dermatological surgeries of rabbits.