ABSTRACT
The surgical needle, to which the suture is attached, has the primary function of introducing the suture through the tissues to be brought into apposition. The attachment end of the surgical needle may have three different configurations, namely closed eye, French eye, or swaged. The laser-drilled swage needle is finding rapid acceptance by surgeons because the size differential between needle and suture, that is the needle: suture diameter ratio, is smaller than for the traditional crimped or channel needle. The most important biomechanical performance parameters for surgical needles are acuity or sharpness, bending resistance, and ductility. Two important factors in needle biomechanics are the resistance to bending and needle ductility, characteristics that have important clinical implications. Surgical needles have been used for centuries, but it appears that surgeons usually held the needle between their fingers, with the use of needle holders only becoming relatively common in the 19th century.
