Composite sutures of silk and hydrophobic thermoplastic elastomers.

摘要

Composite suture of multifilament silk embedded in a highly flexible, hydrophobic highly deformable matrix made of thermoplastic elastomer. This suture exhibits minimal irritation to living tissue and retains its strength in vivo for extended periods of time and also retains the desirable handling qualities of silk. The suture ist prepared by treating a multifilament silk suture with a solution of a suitable polymer in a solvent and heating the moving suture to obtain a continuous impregnation of the silk with the elastomer.