TABLE 3.

Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the vacuum‐assisted biopsy system with the Bergstrom and open biopsy methods

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Vacuum‐assisted core needle biopsy	<3 mm scar with no sutures needed Consistent sample sizes and quality Disposable needles One operator to perform	30 mm depth insertion needed Expensive disposable needles
Bergstrom	Small <1 cm scar, one suture needed 11 Inexpensive reusable device	Variable in sample size More variable in sample distortion 25 Technically more challenging to perform as requires two operators 11 Recovery may be 6 d 11 May be more painful than vacuum‐assisted method 22
Bergstrom or vacuum‐assisted core needle biopsy	May be performed in a clinic room Shorter two‐day recovery time Less need for sedation Multiple cores may be obtained	Anatomic structures not directly visualized Smaller size biopsies may require multiple cores for adequate specimen collection Small/deep muscles difficult to biopsy
Open biopsy	Anatomic structures directly visualized 23 Larger contiguous amounts of tissue can be obtained 12 Smaller muscles may be biopsied 23	Sutures required, prolonging recovery, and limiting activity for 10‐14 d 23 , 24 DMD patients may have an poor aesthetic appearance from healed 5 cm scar Operating room likely required Greater need for sedation