Objective: To study the mechanical knotting abilities of the new synthetic absorbable monofilament suture poliglecaprone 25 (Monocryl) compared with other absorbable suture materials.
Design: Experimental laboratory study.
Material: Knotted loops (3/0 USP) of five synthetic absorbable sutures: Monocryl (poliglecaprone 25), PDS-2 (polydioxanone), Maxon (polyglyconate), Vicryl (polyglactin-910) and Dexon-Plus (polyglycolic acid). Three different knots were tested in a total of 150 experiments.
Main outcome measures: Mean loop holding capacity (LHC) of 10 experiments, expressed in Newtons (N).
Results: Monofilament Maxon tied significantly more secure knots than the other sutures. Sliding knots of Monocryl (poliglecaprone 25) were similar to, and three-throw square knots were less secure than those tied with monofilament PDS-2. Braided Dexon-Plus was superior to Monocryl for sliding knots but comparable for square knots. Braided Vicryl did not differ significantly from Monocryl.
Conclusion: The mechanical knot performance of Monocryl is identical to that of Vicryl, less than that of one other synthetic absorbable monofilament suture (Maxon) and comparable to or somewhat less than the other alternative (PDS-2). These findings, together with other characteristics such as degradation rate, should be used to define the application of Monocryl.