Infectivity of vascular sutures.

Bacterial adherence to vascular sutures was evaluated in vitro using radioactively labeled Staphylococcus aureus. The following suture materials were tested: polypropylene, silicone-treated braided polyester, and Teflon-treated braided polyester. Significantly fewer bacteria adhered to the monofilament polypropylene than either of the braided polyester sutures. There was no significant difference between silicone-treated and Teflon-treated polyester from the standpoint of bacterial adherence. Vascular sutures were evaluated in vivo using a mouse wound model. Sutures were tested with and without knots. When tested without knots, fewer bacteria were recovered from wounds containing polypropylene suture compared to either of the braided materials, although this apparent advantage did not prove to be statistically significant. When studied with knots, the differences among types of suture were much less marked and, again, not significant. The purported contribution of the monofilament structure of a suture to its infection resistance may have been overstated.