Considerations for Selection of Suture Materials

Abstract

The selection of a suture material, in the past, was based primarily on habit, guesswork and physical properties. This is understandable because there was a limited number of materials to select from and the interaction of suture material with tissues was not understood.

Comparison of gross and histologic tissue responses of skin incisions closed by use of absorbable subcuticular staples, cutaneous metal staples, and polyglactin 910 suture in pigs

“…2,14,15 Although a wide variety of suture types are currently available for wound closure, no one suture type is ideal for use in every situation. 2,16 Factors such as wound environment, degree of contamination, rate of healing, suture handling characteristics, tensile strength, and reactivity must be considered when selecting suture. 2,13,16 Compared with suture material that causes minimal inflammation, suture that causes a greater amount of inflammation may have a detrimental impact on wound healing.…”

“…2,16 Factors such as wound environment, degree of contamination, rate of healing, suture handling characteristics, tensile strength, and reactivity must be considered when selecting suture. 2,13,16 Compared with suture material that causes minimal inflammation, suture that causes a greater amount of inflammation may have a detrimental impact on wound healing. 2 Consequently, in the development of new suture material, minimization of the inflammatory reaction through complete absorption or encapsulation of the material has been a goal.…”

Suture materials and biomaterials

“…16 The knot is mechanically the weakest link of the suture loop, tension forces are converted into shearing forces at the knot, and the initial tensile strength of a suture is reduced by at least one third. 17,18 Knot-pull tensile strength is defined as the force in pounds that is required to break a knotted strand of suture material, whereas knot security refers to the knot holding capacity of a suture material expressed as a percentage of the tensile strength. The knot-pull tensile strength is related to the diameter of the suture, the type of suture material and the size of the suture loop.…”

Application of materials as medical devices with localized drug delivery capabilities for enhanced wound repair

“…Moreover, biofilms can contribute to orthopedic device failure, eventually culminating in the need for implant removal [103]. Surgical sutures, especially of the multi-filament variety, have been reported to be more susceptible to harboring microorganisms in their micro-gaps [104–106]. …”