Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product information for supply and clinical staff, not medical advice. How a dressing is secured on a patient is a clinical decision for the treating team and the product’s instructions for use.
What are Montgomery straps? The short answer
Montgomery straps are pairs of adhesive strips placed on the skin on either side of a wound. Each strip has a non-adhesive, perforated edge. A dressing sits between the strips and is held by tying the edges together. One manufacturer lists its version as a secondary dressing for surgical incision sites.
Definition and scope
A Montgomery strap is a dressing-securement device, not a dressing. It holds a separate dressing in place. A U.S. patent on wound dressing securement systems (US 5,437,623) describes the type as adhesive strips “secured to the skin at a predetermined distance from opposite sides of a wound”, each with a “marginal non-adhesive perforated portion for the lacing” (Google Patents, checked 2 November 2026).
DeRoyal’s Montgomery Straps Adhesive Retention Dressing (product 46-5129) is a current example. The manufacturer describes it as “medical-grade adhesive tape panels to secure frequently-changed dressings in place” and lists it as a secondary dressing (DeRoyal product page, checked 2 November 2026).
How Montgomery straps hold a dressing
As the patent background describes the design, it has three parts:
- Adhesive strips sit on the skin at a set distance from opposite sides of the wound.
- Each strip has a perforated edge with no adhesive, used for lacing.
- The dressing is held between the strips by tying together the lacing that extends from each strip.
DeRoyal states the benefit for its product this way: it “eliminates the removal and reapplication of regular surgical tape during dressing changes” and “minimizes trauma and hair pulling for patient”. The same page lists double-reinforced tie holes and says the panels can be cut to any desired width. These are the manufacturer’s own statements, not an independent comparison.
Montgomery straps compared with ordinary tape
The manufacturer frames the difference as follows: with ordinary surgical tape the tape is removed and reapplied at dressing changes, whereas the Montgomery strap panels are intended to stay in place while the dressing is changed (DeRoyal product page, checked 2 November 2026).
For how tape adhesives can affect skin, see the CASRAI guides on allergic reaction to medical tape and silicone adhesive. For a different retention product, see what Hypafix dressing retention tape is.
What a product listing can tell you
Listings for Montgomery strap products differ in which fields they fill in. The DeRoyal page states one indication (surgical incision sites), leaves the contraindications field empty, and states the product is not made with natural rubber latex adhesive. Its sterilization and latex fields are blank. It lists a size of 7 1/4 in x 11 1/8 in and packs of 24 per box and 144 per case.
- Indication. Whether the listing states one.
- Latex statement. What the adhesive is made without. DeRoyal’s statement covers the adhesive only.
- Sterility. Whether the field is filled in or blank.
- Cut-to-width. Whether the manufacturer says the panels may be trimmed.
- Pack count. Units per box and per case.
Where a field is blank, the listing does not answer the question; the manufacturer’s instructions for use are the place to confirm it.
Facility-level supply lists that include dressing retention appear in the CASRAI sports medicine clinic supply checklist.
Common misunderstandings
- “A Montgomery strap is a wound dressing.” No. It holds a separate dressing in place.
- “Not made with natural rubber latex adhesive means the whole product is latex-free.” The DeRoyal statement is about the adhesive. Its latex field is otherwise blank.
- “A product listing is the instructions for use.” A listing is a summary; the instructions for use are a separate document from the manufacturer.
FAQ
What are Montgomery straps?
Adhesive strips applied on either side of a wound, each with a perforated non-adhesive edge, so a dressing can be held between them by tying the edges together (US 5,437,623; DeRoyal, checked 2 November 2026).
Sources
- DeRoyal, “Montgomery Straps Adhesive Retention Dressing” (46-5129): https://www.deroyal.com/products/search-catalog-item/wc-genwound-montgomerystraps, checked 2 November 2026.
- US Patent 5,437,623, “Wound dressing securement system”, background of the invention: https://patents.google.com/patent/US5437623, checked 2 November 2026.
