ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the chemical/physical structure, the basic processes of manufacturing, and some essential properties of suture materials. The information given should provide readers with some basic knowledge of the molecular and chemical structure of suture materials. The natural absorbable sutures are all based upon collagen and they are catgut and reconstituted collagen. Synthetic absorbable sutures are all based on polyglycolide and its copolymers: Dexon; Vicryl; PDS; Maxon; Monocryl; Biosyn. The glycerin-treated chromic catgut sutures have a smoother and more uniform surface appearance than untreated catgut, and, as a result of glycerin treatment, the sutures are thicker. The healing of the sutured wound is profoundly affected by the approximating force exerted by a suture loop, which, in turn, is determined by several physicomechanical factors. The use of iron-based metallic sutures started as early as 1666, metallic suture commonly used metallic suture is stainless steel based.
