Review Paper: Absorbable Polymeric Surgical Sutures: Chemistry, Production, Properties, Biodegradability, and Performance

Abstract

Among biomaterials used as implants in human body, sutures constitute the largest groups of materials having a huge market exceeding $1.3 billion annually. Sutures are the most widely used materials in wound closure and have been in use for many centuries. With the development of the synthetic absorbable polymer, poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) in the early 1970s, a new chapter has opened on absorbable polymeric sutures that got unprecedented commercial successes. Although several comparative evaluations of suture materials have been published, there were no serious attempts of late on a comprehensive review of production, properties, biodegradability, and performance of suture materials. This review proposes to bring to focus scattered data on chemistry, properties, biodegradability, and performance of absorbable polymeric sutures.

Influence of the Electrolyte Type on the Adsorption and Electrokinetic Properties of the Ionic Polyamino Acids – Cr2O3 System

“…As a supporting electrolyte sodium chloride or calcium chloride (Fluka) were used. The concentration of NaCl was 0.01 mole/dm 3 whereas the concentration of CaCl 2 was equal to 0.003 mole/dm 3 . Such concentrations of the salts give demanded ionic strength of the solutions (I = 0.01) for both electrolytes.…”

“…0.1 g of chromium (III) oxide was added to 10 cm 3 of polymer solution in the supporting electrolyte with suitable concentration. Next pH was adjusted to the desired value using HCl and NaOH at a concentration of 0.1 mole/dm 3 . To achieve adsorption -desorption equilibrium, the suspension was shaken for 20 hours in a thermostated stirrer (25°C).…”

“…Moreover, they may modify the surface properties as a consequence of blocking active centers accessible for polymer macromolecules. Explanation of such a phenomena is essential to many areas of human activity, in which adsorption of both natural and synthetic polymers is applied [1][2][3][4][5][6].…”

Effectivity of the PGA rapid Atramat® and PGA Atramat® sutures for the closure of minimal invasion and abdominal-inguinal wounds in surgery

“…That is the reason why the adjustment in the speed of degradation of the absorbable suture is an important challenge to take into account in the moment of suture design. 26,27 The development of intra-abdominal abscesses posterior to an appendicectomy procedure is infrequently, but it's associated with a high mortality. The employment of an adequate surgical technique and antibiotic election is crucial to reduce the incidence of post-surgical intraabdominal abscess.…”

Biodegradable stent

“…If the viscoelastic polymers are quickly increased, the rearranging time of the chains are shorter so that they become brittle; on the other hand, if they are slowly increased, the chains are rearranged so that they can be easily deformed. The physiochemical characteristics of the commercial biodegradable polymers are shown in Table 2 as follows [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. Also, the glass transition temperature (T g ), an important physical characteristics in the polymers, was summarized.…”