ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the current status of the emerging and/or experimental biomaterials for potential wound closure use. Wound infection is considered to be one of the oldest and most common complications in all injuries and every branch of surgery. Suture materials are probably the most important biomaterials in wound infection because they are the most frequently used in surgery and because most wound infection begins along or near the suture lines. The purpose of having composite sutures is to combine the merits of more than one component so that the resulting composite suture materials have advantages that neither of the constituents possess individually. The recent development of polydioxanone, Maxon, Monocryl, and Biosyn sutures improves their mechanical properties and/or their tensile breaking strength retention both in vitro and in vivo. This tissue sealant has the in vitro tissue bonding strength between α-cyanoacrylate and Beriplast on guinea pig skin and the highest bonding strength on collagen among the three tissue adhesives.
