The historical development of surgical suture materials from past to present

Abstract

Purpose: To discuss the development stages of suture materials showing progression parallel to the development of surgery from the history of medicine perspective.

Materials and Methods: Characteristics of sutures used in the historical process were determined by literature review. Developmental stages of suture classification was planned by designating interaction between modern medicine's development process, industrial sector's contribution to medicine and development stages of the sutures.

Results: There has not been a big change in the suture materials used, until the discovery of anesthesia, antisepsis and asepsis in the 19th century. Since antiquity, plantal materials (linen, cotton, silk), animal tissue materials (gut or skin, horsehair or pigs' bristles, tendon, nerve) and ant heads which were admitted as the pioneer of modern clips were used in order as sutures. Implementation of carbonic acid, used as antiseptic, into catgut known suture material for thousands of years has been a cornerstone in the history of sutures. However, by the opportunities produced by textile and chemical industry, today's sutures' characteristics have been developed with synthetic materials.

Conclusion: Information related with sutures has progressed in the last 100 years. Anesthesia, antisepsis and asepsis are also important cornerstones in the history of sutures in the development of modern surgery. However, the actual progress of sutures has been seen with the development in the industry. There is a continuous research to develop the ideal suture material. The historical process of change in the suture materials on the basis of ideal material properties and structure of the material used can be analyzed in three phases: the first period from 2000s BC up to 1860 AC the second period from 1860s until 1930-1950, the third period from 1930-50s to the present.