Suture Materials Flashcards
Define suture
material used to promote wound healing by surgically joining the margins or ends of the wound and holding them securely together to reduce the tension between them
What is ligature
The material used to close blood vessels and stop haemorrhage
What are the characteristics of an ideal suture
High tensile strength
Easy-to-use for surgeons
Easy to tie, secure knot
Highly uniform tensile strength, permitting the use of finer size
Must inhibit tissue reactions and wicking
Must be non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and non-allergenic, as should any degradation products
Easily sterilised
Its surface must minimise bacterial adhesion
Standardisable characteristics
Maintain its properties for sufficient time
Inexpensive
Describe an absorbable suture material
materials that are fully degraded and absorbed by the body once placed
Describe a non-absorbable suture material
materials that stay in place for an indefinite period (actually, the definition of this is 60 days) without changing (breaking down) in any way
What are the different structures of suture materials
monofilament
multifilament
Describe the memory of a suture material
tendency to retain original configuration
what is ‘chatter’ or ‘tissue drag’?
lack of smoothness or friction whilst passing through tissue
What is tissue reaction?
Tissues respond to the implantation of sutures as they do to other foreign material and can provoke an inflammatory response
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of absorbable suture material
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of non-absorbable suture material
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of multifilament suture material
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of monofilament suture material
What factors effect the tissue reaction of a suture
absorption characteristics
natural vs. synthetic
phagocytosis ~(more severe) vs. hydrolysis
If infection is present in the tissue, which structure of suture material is better?
Monofilament as it has a smaller surface area for bacteria to settle and grow
Identify the types of needles
A - closed
B - closed
C - split
D - swaged
What are the issue with eyed needles
double strand of suture material
multiple use => blunt
increased tissue trauma
Describe the characteristics of a swaged needle
minimal trauma
single use
optimal penetration
properties
More expensive
The needle of choice
Name the parts of the needle
the point
the body
the eye (or swage)
Describe the curvature of a needle
A needle’s radius of curvature is expressed in proportion to a circle
The deeper the wound, the more curved the needle
Describe the composition of a needle
Made of stainless steel alloys
Must be sufficiently rigid to resist forces applied to them during handling, but must be sufficiently flexible to bend before breaking (ductility)
