Needle shape

1/4 circile
- It has a little curvature, use on convex surface and delicate surgery, typically use on ophthalmic procedures, facial aesthetic, eyelids, fascia, and microsurgery.
1/2 circle
- It has a large arc to use in confined sites, the application area is skin, muscle, peritoneum, eye, abdominal surgery and gastrointestinal tract.
3/8 circle
- The most common needles use in large and superficial wound and it’s impossible to use in deep cavities. This needle applied in skin, hand surgery, fascia, muscle, subcuticular.
5/8 circle
- These needles perfect with deep and confined cavities due to the needle design make a maneuvering in small location easier. Application area Intraoral, urogenital, and anorectal procedures.
1/2 curved (ski needle)
- The curved portion for this needle passes through tissue easily, used in laparoscopic technique and skin closure.
J shaped
- Used on deep incision so it used in laparoscopic surgery without any injury to visceral and applied in vagina and rectum.
Straight
- Can be used without needle holder as is the case of curvature needle and there is a high risk of accidently sticking yourself. It uses in easily accessible tissue, typically in abdominal surgery, rhinoplasty.

Thread size

Use Conventional cutting for subcuticular – cutting edge on inside o Use blunt for fascia
Use taper for pretty much everything else
(Don’t generally use reverse cutting but less likely to tear tissue)

Overview

Absorbable - lose majority of tensile strength within 60 days (degraded by tissue enzymes or hydrolysis)
Multifilament – higher infection risk – harbor organisms between fibers & increased capillarity (absorb & transfer fluid more easily)
Natural fibers such as silk have a greater degree of reactivity
Absorbable
- Surgical Gut
  - Seldom used
  - Poor strength, high reactivity
- Chromic gut
  - Coated
  - Stays around for longer
- Monocryl (Poli-gleca-prone)
  - Monofilament
  - 20-30% tensile strength at 2 weeks
  - Absorption 3 months
- Vicryl (Poly-glactin)
  - Braided
  - 50% TS at 3weeks
  - A 3 months
- PDS (Poly-dioxa-none)
  - Monofilament
  - 4/0 60% TS @ 6weeks
  - A 6months
- Maxon (Polytrimethylene carbonate)
  - Monofilament – from Covidien (all others J&J) –
  - Lasts as long as PDS but has improved knotting similar to Vicryl
- Non-absorbable weakening
  - Silk – Braided, organic (natural), TISSUE REACTION
  - Ethilon – Monofilament, Nylon, loses strength @15-20%/year
- Non-absorbable
  - Prolene (Polypropylene) – Monofilament – not pliable