Suture material names

What are the generic names for common suture materials?

Monocryl is poliglecaprone 25. Biosyn is glycomer 631. Vicryl is polyglactin 910, and Dexon is polyglycolic acid. Maxon is polyglyconate. PDS II is polydioxanone.

The week groups help compare strength retention: about 1–2 weeks for Monocryl; 2–3 weeks for Biosyn, Vicryl and Dexon; 4–5 weeks for Maxon; and 5–6 weeks for PDS II. These are approximate ranges for reaching about half the starting tensile strength. They are not times to complete absorption. Size, formulation, dye and the tissue environment can change the curve. For example, Monocryl retained only 20–30% of its breaking strength at two weeks after implantation in rat subcutis. The 5–6-week PDS II cue is not a size-independent half-strength time: manufacturer data at six weeks report about 35% retained strength for 4-0 and smaller, and 60% for 3-0 and larger. Use the range as a study cue, then check the specific product when choosing wound support.

Prolene is polypropylene. Ethilon is nylon. Both are synthetic nonabsorbable monofilaments.

Catgut, or surgical gut, is a natural collagen-based absorbable suture. It comes from sheep intestinal submucosa or cattle intestinal serosa.

References

Johnston & Tobias, Veterinary Surgery: Small Animal, 2nd ed., ch. 16, Tables 16.2–16.3; Bezwada et al., Biomaterials 1995;16:1141–1148. doi:10.1016/0142-9612(95)93577-Z; Ethicon PDS II product catalogue, size-specific retention data.