{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,17]],"date-time":"2026-01-17T22:07:35Z","timestamp":1768687655299,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":12,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]],"date-time":"2018-01-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1515628800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci\u00f3n (ES)","award":["PI11\/01921"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PI11\/01921"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The closure of the abdominal wall after making a laparotomy is a major challenge for surgeons, since a significant percentage of closures fail and incisional hernias rise. The suture has to withstand the forces required to close the incision, while not hindering the adequate wound healing progression. Currently, there is no surgical measuring device that could be used to determine the required closing forces, which can be very different depending on the patient. This paper presents a dynamometer to measure the tension forces to be applied while closing a surgical incision, and it simultaneously measures the distance between wound edges. It is a compass-like instrument. A mechanism between the two legs incorporates a load cell, whose signal is read by an electronic device that computes the values of the tension forces between wound edges. An angular position sensor at the pin joint between legs provides the distance between both sides of the incision. Measuring capabilities of the instrument prototype were verified at the laboratory. Thereafter, its functionality was demonstrated in experimental surgery tests. Therefore, the instrument could be very useful in clinical applications, assisting personalized surgical techniques.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s18010189","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]],"date-time":"2018-01-11T13:36:15Z","timestamp":1515677775000},"page":"189","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Surgical Dynamometer to Simultaneously Measure the Tension Forces and the Distance between Wound Edges during the Closure of a Laparotomy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5875-8381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joan","family":"Roca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Industrial Engineering. University of Lleida\u2014Escola Politecnica Superior. C. Jaume II, 69, E-25001 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6230-4857","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miquel","family":"Nogu\u00e9s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Industrial Engineering. University of Lleida\u2014Escola Politecnica Superior. C. Jaume II, 69, E-25001 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0226-2445","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rafael","family":"Villalobos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Department\u2014Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital. Av. de l\u2019Alcalde Rovira Roure, 80, E-25198 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3138-3652","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"M\u00edas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Department\u2014Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital. Av. de l\u2019Alcalde Rovira Roure, 80, E-25198 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2464-5415","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mart\u00ed","family":"Comellas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Industrial Engineering. University of Lleida\u2014Escola Politecnica Superior. C. Jaume II, 69, E-25001 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Gas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Department\u2014Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital. Av. de l\u2019Alcalde Rovira Roure, 80, E-25198 Lleida, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3246-8682","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge","family":"Olsina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Surgical Department\u2014Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital. Av. de l\u2019Alcalde Rovira Roure, 80, E-25198 Lleida, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"474","article-title":"Influencing factors on the causes of incisional hernia. A retrospective study of 2983 laparotomy patients over a period of 10 years","volume":"73","author":"Lawong","year":"2002","journal-title":"Chirurg"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"234","article-title":"Abdominal wound dehiscence and incisional hernia","volume":"24","author":"Bartlett","year":"2006","journal-title":"Surgery"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01250034","article-title":"The healing of laparotomies: Review of the literature Part 1. 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Surg."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"445","DOI":"10.1007\/s10029-013-1119-2","article-title":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of prophylactic mesh placement for prevention of incisional hernia following midline laparotomy","volume":"17","author":"Bhangu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Hernia"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1590\/S0102-86502007000400005","article-title":"Tensile strength of the posterior and anterior layer of the rectus abdominis muscle sheath in cadavers","volume":"22","author":"Amorim","year":"2007","journal-title":"Acta Cir. Bras."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Horeman, T., Meijer, E.-J., Harlaar, J.J., Lange, J.F., Van Den Dobbelsteen, J.J., and Dankelman, J. (2013). Force Sensing in Surgical Sutures. PLoS ONE, 8.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0084466"},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Villalobos, R., Escartin, A., Mias, C., Nogu\u00e9s, M., Roca, J., Escoll, J., Santamar\u00eda, M., Gas, C., Cabeza, L., and Olsina, J.J. (2014, January 29\u201331). Measuring biomechanics of abdominal wall closure. Proceedings of the 36th International Congress of the European Hernia Society, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK."}],"container-title":["Sensors"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/18\/1\/189\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T14:50:51Z","timestamp":1760194251000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-8220\/18\/1\/189"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]},"references-count":12,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,1]]}},"alternative-id":["s18010189"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/s18010189","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-8220"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-8220","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]}}}