Surgical sutures play an important role in medicine. It can be used to effectively treat tissue that has been cut with a needle and thread.
What is suture material?
Medical sutures are surgical materials used to close wounds. Medical sutures are surgical materials used to close wounds. Such injuries mostly occur as a result of accidents. However, deliberate incisions can also be made as part of a surgical procedure. After the operation, the surgeon closes the wound again with the surgical material, which is often colloquially referred to as “thread”. In the manufacture of medical sutures, care is taken to match the tissue types in which they are used. Important factors here are the nature of the surface, capillarity and tensile strength. The surface properties of the suture material are primarily important for the sliding properties of the thread. The less resistance, the less tissue trauma during sliding. A distinction must be made between smooth and rough suture material. With smooth material, there is more extensive tension. This makes it more suitable for more precise apposition of wound edges. If the suture material has a rougher surface, it slides more sluggishly within the tissue. However, the knot security of the rough material is better than that of the smooth suture material. It also has a greater suction effect. The capillarity of the medical suture material is also important. The capillary forces by which microorganisms and wound fluid are absorbed are greater when the material is more filamentous. In contrast, braided suture material is considered unsuitable for infected wounds. The tensile strength of the material also plays a special role. This determines which force effects are possible with the suture material without it being destroyed. Thus, braided material has a higher force tolerance than threads composed of only a single fiber.
Shapes, types and styles
In surgical sutures, it is important to distinguish between several types and shapes. In addition to needles, sutures represent the most important suture material. In earlier years, threads made of sheep intestine or natural silk were used. In the present day, medicine relies almost exclusively on modern synthetic materials. The most important distinguishing features include absorbable and non-absorbable sutures. Sutures that are non-absorbable must be removed after a certain period of time. In such cases, the term “suture removal” is used. However, since not every area of the body is suitable for suture removal, such as the subcutaneous fatty tissue or the internal [organs]], medicine sometimes resorts to absorbable sutures that can be broken down by the body. Not only does the material of the sutures play a role, but also the duration of resorption. In the case of modern sutures, hydrolytic cleavage occurs through body water. Of importance for resorption are the type of tissue treated, which has a different moisture content, as well as the surface size and diameter of the threads. A distinction is made between thick and thin threads. This means that thicker threads can withstand greater forces. Thick threads are used especially for sewing under tensile stress. However, thicker threads also create more extensive stitch channels after pulling, which in turn can lead to scarring. A distinction is also made between monofilament and polyfilament threads. Monofilament threads have the advantage of having good gliding properties and a closed surface. However, thicker monofilament threads lack wire strength. Polyfile threads are created by interlacing or twisting individual threads. They have a better knot fit, but are rougher in appearance.
Structure and mode of operation
Composed, medical sutures are made of needle and thread. In earlier times, medicine resorted to sterile needles that could be reused and were clamped in a spring eye. Nowadays, however, only needle-thread combinations are used, which are used once. In this case, the needle and thread form a single unit. The thread cannot be exchanged. In addition to the material of the thread, the material of the needle is also important. There are needles that are suitable for a wide variety of purposes.These include straight, curved, small or large, and sharp-edged triangular or round needles. If the suture material is atraumatic, the maximum caliber of the needle and the thread are identical. In addition, there is a smooth transition. In this way, the stitch canal is completely filled by the thread, so that even in the case of vascular sutures, no blood can escape from the canal. The hollow end of the needle, which encloses the beginning of the thread, is considered delicate during manufacture and use.
Medical and health benefits
To successfully operate wounds, suture materials such as needles and thread are indispensable. Here, the thread can be inserted separately into a needle eyelet or is used as a packaged needle and thread combination. Suture material was already used in medicine in ancient times. However, it was not until industrialization that special surgical suture materials were designed. Thus, the first true suture material became available in 1860 with the introduction of the carbolt catgut. Before that, the same material was used for sewing clothing and fabrics. Industrial production of sterile catgut took place from 1909. Synthetic absorbable sutures have been available since 1931, and in later years other materials such as coated polyamide threads, synthetic collagen threads and polyester were developed. These suture materials make it possible to close open wounds by suturing. In this way, they ensure rapid wound healing and protect the body from the invasion of germs that can cause bacterial infections, for example.
