Product Manual

absorbable sutures are prepared from Polyglytone™ 6211 synthetic polyester
which is composed of glycolide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate, and
lactide. Implantation studies in animals indicate that Caprosyn™ suture retains
a minimum of 50-60% USP knot strength at five days post implantation, and
a minimum of 20-30% of knot strength at 10 days post implantation. All of its
tensile strength is essentially lost by 21 days post implantation.
We recently have compared the biomechanical performance of Caprosyn™
suture to that of Chromic Gut suture.
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The biomechanical performance studies
included quantitative measurements of wound security, strength loss, mass loss,
potentiation of infection, tissue drag, knot security, knot rundown, as well as
suture stiffness. Both Caprosyn™ and Chromic Gut sutures provided comparable
resistance to wound disruption. Prior to implantation, suture loops of Caprosyn™
had a significantly greater mean breaking strength than suture loops of Chromic
Gut. Three weeks after implantation of these absorbable suture loops, the sutures
had no appreciable strength. The rate of loss of suture mass of these two sutures
was similar. As expected, Chromic Gut sutures potentiated significantly more
infection than did the Caprosyn™ sutures.
III. scientific basis for the selection of surgical sutures (cont’d)
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