Surgical Sutures & Needles: Types, Materials & Applications

Surgical sutures and needles come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials to meet the specific needs of a wound. Sometimes, specialized sutures and needles are custom developed to treat a specific type of wound or surgical condition.

Monofiliment Suture

• Monofiliment sutures are made of a single strand of material and are most resistant to the growth of microorganisms. They also have a low friction level on tissue, allowing for easy insertion.

Multifilament Sutures

• Multifilament sutures, composed of several strands of material braided together are not as resistant to microorganisms, and have a higher friction level on tissue than monofilament sutures. Multifilament sutures have higher tensile strength, pliability, and flexibility than monofilament sutures.

Absorbable and Non Absorbable Sutures

• Absorbable sutures cause minimal tissue damage once applied, and often do not need to be removed. They can be made with natural or synthetic materials.

Needle Points

• Most surgical needles are made of high quality stainless steel. Types of needle points include a cutting needle for penetrating thick tissues; a taper point or round needle to penetrate tissue by stretching instead of cutting; or a blunt-point needle for suturing the liver, kidneys, or other soft tissue.

Needle Body Types

• Some surgical needles are straight, to reach easily accessible tissue. The half-curved ski and curved-ski needles range from 1/4 to 5/8 inches and are ideal for suturing in harder to reach places.