What Are Montgomery Straps? Adhesive Dressing Retention Explained - CASRAI

Montgomery straps are pairs of adhesive strips placed on the skin on either side of a wound, featuring non-adhesive perforated edges used to secure a separate dressing in place by tying or lacing the edges together.

What exactly is a Montgomery strap, and how does it work?

When clinicians need to secure a wound dressing that requires frequent changes, ordinary surgical tape can cause significant skin trauma and discomfort from repeated removal and reapplication. A Montgomery strap solves this mechanical problem by acting as a dressing-securement device rather than a dressing itself.

As outlined in U.S. patent US 5,437,623, the system consists of adhesive strips secured to the skin at a predetermined distance from opposite sides of a wound. Each strip features a marginal non-adhesive perforated portion for lacing. A separate dressing sits right between these panels, held firmly in place by tying together the extensions from each side.

How do Montgomery straps compare to ordinary surgical tape?

The core utility of these retention systems lies in preserving skin integrity during routine medical care. Traditional surgical tape is stripped away from the patient’s skin during every single dressing change, which routinely triggers irritation, localized allergic reactions, or painful hair pulling.

By contrast, the adhesive panels of a Montgomery strap stay put on the patient’s skin across multiple changes. Only the central dressing and the lacing are adjusted or replaced. Manufacturers such as DeRoyal, which produces the Montgomery Straps Adhesive Retention Dressing under product code 46-5129, emphasize that this design minimizes mechanical trauma and eliminates the need to repeatedly peel tape off sensitive skin.

What details do product listings actually provide?

Navigating medical supply catalogs requires careful attention to what manufacturer specifications do and do not state. For instance, the DeRoyal product listing specifies an indication for surgical incision sites and notes that the product is not made with natural rubber latex adhesive. However, it leaves other critical fields entirely blank.

Facility-level supply lists, such as those found in the CASRAI sports medicine clinic supply checklist, often incorporate dressing retention items. Yet a product listing serves strictly as a summary rather than clinical instructions. When specific fields like sterilization or complete material breakdowns are blank in a catalog entry, clinical staff must consult the manufacturer’s official instructions for use.

Specification Field	DeRoyal Product Listing (46-5129)	Clinical Verification Requirement
Indication	Surgical incision sites	Confirm via official instructions for use
Latex Statement	Not made with natural rubber latex adhesive	Applies strictly to the adhesive component
Sterility	Blank	Must check packaging or manufacturer documentation
Dimensions & Packaging	7 1/4 in x 11 1/8 in; 24 per box, 144 per case	Verified supply chain metric

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Montgomery straps considered wound dressings?

No. A Montgomery strap is strictly a dressing-securement device. It remains on the skin to hold a separate, underlying dressing in place.

Does a statement that a strap is not made with natural rubber latex mean the entire product is latex-free?

No. Manufacturer statements regarding latex generally apply exclusively to the adhesive formulation, and wider product latex fields on supply listings are frequently left blank.

Can product listings replace manufacturer instructions for use?

No. A product listing is merely a summary for supply and procurement staff. Clinicians must rely on the official instructions for use provided by the manufacturer for safe application.