1. Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene for Chordal Replacement: Preventing Knot Failure 
Jacob R. Miller, MD, Corey R. Deeken, PhD, Shuddhadeb Ray, MD, Matthew C. Henn, MD, Timothy S. Lancaster, MD, Richard B. Schuessler, PhD, Ralph J. Damiano, MD, Spencer J. Melby, MD 
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 
Volume 100, Issue 6, Pages (December 2015)
DOI: /j.athoracsur
Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

2. Fig 1
Scanning electron photomicrographs of Chord-X (On-X Life Technologies Inc, Austin, TX) and Gore-Tex (W.L. Gore and Assoc, Elkton, MD) sutures demonstrate variations based on different extrusion techniques. Chord-X at original magnification (A) ×300, (C) ×600, and (E) ×1,200. Gore-Tex at original magnification (B) ×300, (D) ×600, and (F) ×1,200.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

3. Fig 2
(A) Each knot was tied over a plastic mandrel and secured with a tensiometer. (B) After the appropriate number of throws, each knot was then attached to the tensiometer and pulled apart, increasing the distance at 20 mm/min.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

4. Fig 3
Maximal load before failure by breaking (red) or unraveling (blue) is shown for each individual knot, grouped by method of failure. The middle line represents the median value, with the border of each box representing the first interquartile range and the hinge representing three times this value.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

5. Fig 4
Mean maximal load before failure by unraveling or breaking based on the number of throws used to form the knot. The error bars represent the standard error of the mean.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2015 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions