Editing Suture Materials (section)

== Absorbable ==

* '''Monofilament'''
** '''Catgut'''
*** Natural
*** Majority based on type I collagen
*** Extracted from the intestines of sheep or goats
*** '''Two types: plain vs. chromic'''
**** '''Chromic'''
***** '''Treated with chrome salts (brown colour) which slows absorption time and reduces tissue reaction'''
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈70-90 days'''
*** '''Time to 50% breaking strength retention: 3-4 weeks'''§
*** '''Advantages'''
***# '''High elasticity'''
***# '''Good tensile strength'''
***#* Plain catgut: 7 days
***#* Chromic catgut: 14 days
*** '''Disadvantages'''
***# '''Poor knot security'''
***# '''Tissue reaction''' (due to foreign protein nature of catgut suture)
***#* Plain catgut has more tissue reaction than chromic catgut
** '''Monocryl'''
*** Also known as poliglecaprone
*** Synthetic
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈90-120 days'''§
*** Identical knot performance compared with Vicryl, similar performance to PDS, and lesser performance compared with Maxon
*** High initial breaking strength, being superior to chronic gut, Vicryl, and PDS
*** '''Time to 50% breaking strength retention: 1 week'''§
*** '''Advantages'''§
**** '''Pliability,''' '''minimal force required to bend'''
**** '''Less out-of-package memory than maxon and PDS'''
** '''Maxon'''
*** Also known as polyglyconate
*** Synthetic
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈100 days'''
** '''Biosyn''' (Covidien)
*** Synthetic
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈90-110 days'''§
** '''PDS''' (Ethicon)
*** Also known as polydioxanone
*** Synthetic
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈200 days'''
*** Enhanced version (PDS II) has improved flexibility and handling characteristics
* '''Braided'''
** '''Vicryl''' (Ethicon)'''/Polysorb''' (Covidien)
*** '''Also known as polyglactin'''
*** Synthetic
*** '''Completely absorbed within ≈60 days'''
*** '''Time to 50% breaking strength retention: 3 weeks'''§
** '''Dexon''' (Covidien)
*** '''Also known as polyglycolic acid'''