Equipment / Instruments
Range of Sutures
Unit 11: Sutures & Other Materials
Sutures are probably the most common type of biomaterial implanted into the body. Sutures are however an extremely diverse group of materials with large variations in their properties.
There is no such thing as the perfect suture material. Indeed with the diversity of tissues and procedures for which suture materials are indicated in the modern veterinary practice, it is probably desirable not to have a single "ideal" suture, but rather a variety of materials, sizes and properties from which to select.
What is of more importance is the ability to correctly select the suture to be used with due consideration to the indication for which it is required and the tissues into which it is to be implanted. Suture materials result in similar reactions as any foreign body implanted into the body, and their fate depends not only on the properties of the material itself but also on the body’s response to that foreign material.
Selection of the appropriate suture will therefore depend on not only a knowledge of the properties of the suture material, but also a thorough knowledge of the healing characteristics of the tissues and organs into which they are placed, and a consideration of any concurrent disease state which may modify this response and therefore the performance of the suture.
Topics:
- Suture types
- Needles
- Packaging
- Tying knots
- Suture patterns
- Suture Selection
- Healing and Suture Selection
The objectives of this unit
Review the currently available materials used as sutures, staples and other wound closure products. Considerations will also be given to suture selection and handling in regard to the tissue types and indications for which they are required in the management and closure of wounds.