Flap Suturing Technique — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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EasyOral Surgery PrinciplesFlap Suturing TechniqueMFDS Part 1

Following a surgical extraction, a small, tension-free mucoperiosteal flap requires closure. The surgeon wants each stitch to be adjustable and removable independently, while maintaining the remainder of the closure if one stitch fails. Which suturing technique best meets these requirements?

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Correct answer: B — Simple interrupted sutures

Simple interrupted sutures are correct because every stitch is separately placed and tied. This permits precise, local adjustment of flap-edge approximation and means that failure or removal of one stitch does not disrupt the entire closure. Continuous locking sutures can close longer wounds efficiently but use a shared strand and do not provide the same independence. Horizontal mattress sutures are useful for tension redistribution or tissue eversion but are unnecessary for the stated tension-free flap. Continuous subcuticular suturing is primarily a skin-closure technique and is unsuitable for routine oral mucoperiosteal flap closure. Purse-string sutures constrict a circular opening rather than approximate a linear flap incision.

Reference: Davis B, Smith KD. Oral Surgery Suturing. StatPearls [Internet], 2026 edition. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/Files/RCS/FDS/Dental-curricula/Oral-Surgery-Syllabus-Final--09-12-2024.pdf