Fiber-antibiotic interactions in the development of infection-resistant sutures

Wounds, and the sutures used to close them while they heal, can become infected. A suturing material that serves not to introduce infection, but to combat bacteria introduced from other sources and to promote wound healing would represent a significant improvement over currently used materials. This report examines the interaction of an antibiotic compound with common suture materials such as silk, nylon, and polyester and compares its uptake, when applied by a range of textile-based processes (simple dipping, dyeing, and thermofixation with dry and steam heat), their release, and subsequent long-term antimicrobial effectiveness. Dye-like incorporation provides infection resistance that persists over days or weeks as opposed to hours for the dipped material.