Tensile strength of surgical knots performed with the da Vinci surgical robot.

The objective of this study was to estimate the tensile strength of surgical knots made using the da Vinci robot. Four different types of flat square knots (strand-to-strand 4 throw, strand-to-strand 6 throw, loop-to-strand 4 throw, and loop-to-strand 6 throw) were made using the da Vinci-S system by 4 different surgeons, all experienced with the system. For the knots, we used braided polyglactin 910 (Vicryl 2-0).