Suture Materials

Most sutures with the suture material swaged onto the base of the needle

Shapes vary from a quarter circle to five-eighths of a circle, depending on how confined the operating field is

Choice of the needle should ‘alter the tissue to be sutured as little as possible’ and is dependent on:

The tissue being sutured (when in doubt about the selection of a tapered point or cutting needle, choose the taper for everything except skin sutures)
Ease of access to the Individual tissue preference.

Properties of suture material

Handling of a suture
- Memory
  - The tendency to stay in one position
  - Leads to difficulty in tying sutures and knot unravelling
- Elasticity
- Knot strength
  - The force required for a knot to slip
  - Important to consider when ligating arteries
Tensile strength
- The force necessary to break a suture
- Important to consider in areas of tension (linea alba)
Tissue reaction
- Undesirable since inflammation worsens the scar
- Maximal between Day 3&7

Types of sutures

Monofilament (Ethilon or Prolene)
- Consists of a single smooth strand
- Less traumatic since they glide through tissues with less friction
- May be associated with lower rates of infection.
- More likely to slip and should be secured with 5 or 6 ‘throws’ (in contrast to 3 throws with multifilament)
- Preferred for skin closure because they provide a better cosmetic result
Multifilament (Mersilk or Mersilene)
- Consists of multiple fibres woven together
- Easier to handle and tie and knots are less likely to slip.

Classification of sutures

Non-absorbable suture material

Composed of materials which can be:

Absorbable suture material

Composed of biodegradable materials which can be?

Degraded non-enzymatically by hydrolysis when water penetrates the suture filaments and attacks the polymer chain
Tend to evoke less tissue reaction than those occurring naturally.

What’s on the packaging: