The effect of repeated freezing and thawing on the suture pull-out strength in equine arytenoid and cricoid cartilages.
Authors: Gray Sarah M, Gutierrez-Nibeyro Santiago D, Horn Gavin P, McCoy Annette M, Schaeffer David J, Stewart Matt
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Freezing and Thawing Effects on Laryngoplasty Suture Strength Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy remains a significant welfare concern in horses, with laryngoplasty (LP) a well-established surgical intervention; however, research protocols often require storage of cadaveric laryngeal specimens through repeated freeze–thaw cycles, potentially compromising the biomechanical properties that simulate in vivo conditions. Gray and colleagues conducted an ex vivo study using ten equine cadaveric larynges to determine whether multiple freeze–thaw cycles (three complete cycles versus single) altered the suture pull-out strength of arytenoid and cricoid cartilages subjected to standard LP techniques. Both groups demonstrated comparable failure loads (approximately 114–119 N) and displacement at failure (54.4 mm), with no statistically significant differences between single and repeated freeze–thaw protocols. This finding validates the use of repeatedly frozen and thawed laryngeal specimens in biomechanical research, allowing veterinary surgeons and researchers to design more cost-effective and logistically practical experimental studies without compromising data integrity. Farriers and veterinary professionals involved in equine surgical research or development of LP techniques can therefore be confident that cadaveric specimens stored through multiple freeze–thaw cycles maintain sufficient cartilage integrity for meaningful assessment of implant and suture performance.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Laryngeal specimens preserved through multiple freeze-thaw cycles retain adequate cartilage integrity for experimental testing of laryngoplasty techniques, allowing for better utilization of cadaveric research material
- •Surgeons can be confident that repeated freezing and thawing of laryngeal tissues does not compromise the biomechanical properties relevant to laryngoplasty surgical outcomes
Key Findings
- •Mean load at failure was 118.9 N (single freeze-thaw) vs 113.4 N (repeated freeze-thaw, 3 cycles), with no significant difference (P=0.62)
- •Mean displacement at failure was 54.4 mm in both single and repeated freeze-thaw groups (P=0.99)
- •All laryngoplasty constructs failed by suture pull-through the arytenoid cartilage
- •Repeated freezing and thawing does not compromise the structural integrity of cartilage for suture fixation