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Multifilament vs. Monofilament Suture Materials

Chapter 4: Table of Contents

Multifilament vs. Monofilament Suture Materials

Monofilament suture materials such as glycomer-631, polydioxanone, and polypropylene, are often selected since they cause less tissue drag and are less likely to track and harbour bacteria at the surgical sites. Monofilament suture materials are generally harder to handle than multifilament suture because of their memory. 

Monofilament vs Multifilament Suture Material


Multifilament suture materials can be braided (e.g. polyglactin-910), or twisted (e.g. polymerized caprolactam).  Multifilament suture materials are easier to handle when tying knots and are more flexible but they also have increased tissue drag and may harbour bacteria in the pores created by braiding or twisting leading to infection.

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