Steel is used for making surgical needles but also for making a certain type of sutures.
The needle see Needle >> is one of the main elements of a suture and must have certain properties in order to ensure optimum results both functionally and aesthetically.
B. Braun focuses special attention on the design and manufacture of its needles, for the purpose of providing users with very high quality products.
All our «Easyslide» needles are made from a 300 stainless steel alloy, a unique material that gives them excellent torsional and breaking strength which maintain their initial quality throughout the operation.
Moreover, our «Easyslide» needles are silicone-coated for greater precision and smoother tissue penetration.
Stainless steel is also the material used as the basis for certain sutures, such as our non-absorbable monofilament steel suture. This robust, resistant suture is used specifically in orthopaedic and thoracic surgery for bone approximation (e.g. Steelex).

The industrial sterilisation techniques mentioned below have been recognised and accepted worldwide:

• Gamma radiation, mostly for polyamide, polyester and silk.
• Ethylene oxide, mostly for absorbable synthetic materials such as polyglycolic acid or materials such as polypropylene and linen. [14]

Ionising radiation has the disadvantage of changing the structure of polymers by fractioning the molecular chain, which reduces the thread’s tensile strength and accelerates hydrolysis.

Strands, or ligatures, are threads with no needle attached.

Nowadays, synthetic suture material is the type most widely used. Synthetic sutures have replaced natural sutures because they offer improved tolerance and a more predictable resorption profile.

[14] Gaudy JF.; Incision et sutures; Ed CdP 2007.