Suture material & needles

Question 1

Catgut

Answer 1

• Natural (derived from sheep/cow intestines)
• Multifilament, absorbable
• Poor knot security when wet
• Poor tensile strength
• Prone to wicking
• High capillarity
• Treating w chromic salts slows absorption, incr. strength, decr. tissue reaction

Question 2

PDSII

Answer 2

Polydiaxanone

• synthetic, MONOfilament, absorbable
• swaged only
• low tissue reaction
• low tissue drag
• high tensile strength
• no capillarity
• absorption 180-210d

Question 3

Vicryl

Answer 3

Polyglactin 910

• synthetic, MULTIfilament, absorbable
• high tissue drag
• high capillarity
• higher tensile strength than catgut
• absorption 60-90d

Question 4

Maxon

Answer 4

Polyglyconate

• less springy and better handling than PDSII, otherwise similar
• absorption 180d

Question 5

Prolene

Answer 5

Polypropylene

• synthetic, MONOfilament, NON-absorbable
• high tensile strength
• variable knot security
• least thrombogenic – used in vascular surgery

Question 6

Ethilon

Answer 6

Polyamide

• synthetic, MONOfilament or BRAIDED, NON-absorbable
• low tissue drag
• low tissue reaction
• poor knot security & handling
• no capillarity

Question 7

Staples

Answer 7

• must be removed
• quick to apply
• stay in for 1-2w
• good tissue approximation
• skin closure (usually)

Question 8

Surgical glue

Answer 8

• good tissue adhesive

- external only

Question 9

Round-bodied needle

Answer 9

Taper/sharp point or blunt point

Question 10

Cutting needle

Answer 10

Cutting edge on inside of needle curvature

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Question 11

Reverse cutting needle

Answer 11

Cutting edge on outside of needle curvature

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Question 12

USP sizing

Answer 12

7-0 (thin suture), 6-0, 5-0 …. 0, 1 .. 4 (thick suture)

Question 13

Metric sizing

Answer 13

Each metric unit represents 0.1mm diameter (e.g. 2.0 = 0.2mm)