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Study Comparing Running Locking Suture to Standard Running Suture for Surgical Wounds

This study is looking at two different ways to close surgical wounds on the head and neck after a procedure. Doctors want to see if a technique called "running locking suture" can lead to less scarring compared to the "standard running suture" method. Both methods use a continuous stitch to close the wound. The running locking suture technique involves a special way of looping the stitch to potentially provide better tension and a nicer looking scar. We are looking for 50 participants who are 18 years or older, scheduled for a head or neck skin surgery, and willing to come back for a follow-up visit. The main goal is to compare scar appearance at 3 months after surgery using a special assessment score.

Study design
This study plans to enroll 50 participants to compare two different surgical wound closure techniques. It is an interventional study, meaning participants will receive one of the two procedures.
What's involved
You would need to be scheduled for a skin surgery on your head or neck and be willing to return for a follow-up visit after the procedure.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your scar will be assessed at 3 months after your surgery.

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NCT06288009

Outcomes of Running Locking Suture vs Standard Running Suture in Surgical Wounds

Recruiting
NAAges 18+Interventional
University of California, Davis
~50 participants
Updated 2025-12-05 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Running locking sutureStandard running suture

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Observer Scar Assessment as measured by Patient Observer Scar Assessment Score (POSAS)
Measured over 3 months

Conditions

Scarring

Explore related trials

Surgical wound

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
California1

Study leadership

  • Daniel Eisen, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of California, Davis - Dermatology

Who to contact

John Robb, BS, BA
[email protected]
9165512636
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

18 years of age or older
Able to give informed consent themselves
Patient scheduled for cutaneous surgical procedure on the head or neck with predicted primary closure
Willing to return for follow up visit

Exclusion

Incarceration
Under 18 years of age
Pregnant Women
Unable to understand written and oral English
Wounds with predicted closure length less than 3cm

What this trial measures

  • Observer Scar Assessment as measured by Patient Observer Scar Assessment Score (POSAS)3 months

    The primary endpoint will be the score of two blinded reviewers independently using the POSAS assessment. The observer scale of the POSAS consists of six items (vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability, and surface area). All items are scored on a scale ranging from 1 ("like normal skin") to 10 ("worst scar imaginable"). The sum of the six items results in a total score of the POSAS observer scale. Furthermore, an overall opinion is scored on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. All parameters should preferably be compared to normal skin on a comparable anatomic location.