interrupted suture

suture /su·ture/ (soo´cher)

1. sutura.

2. a stitch or series of stitches made to secure apposition of the edges of a surgical or traumatic wound.

3. to apply such stitches.

4. material used in closing a wound with stitches.su´tural

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absorbable suture  a strand of material used for closing wounds which is subsequently dissolved by the tissue fluids.

apposition suture  a superficial suture used for exact approximation of the cutaneous edges of a wound.

approximation suture  a deep suture for securing apposition of the deep tissue of a wound.

buried suture  one placed deep in the tissues and concealed by the skin.

catgut suture  see surgical gut, under gut.

coaptation suture  apposition s.

cobblers' suture  one made with suture material threaded through a needle at each end.

continuous suture  one in which a continuous, uninterrupted length of material is used.

coronal suture  the line of junction of the frontal bone with the two parietal bones.

cranial sutures  the lines of junction between the bones of the skull.

Czerny's suture 

1. an intestinal suture in which the thread is passed through the mucous membrane only.

2. union of a ruptured tendon by splitting one of the ends and suturing the other end into the slit.

false suture  a line of junction between apposed surfaces without fibrous union of the bones.

figure-of-eight suture  one in which the threads follow the contours of the figure 8.

Gély's suture  a continuous stitch for wounds of the intestine, made with a thread having a needle at each end.

glover's suture  lock-stitch s.

Halsted suture  a modification of the Lembert suture.

interrupted suture  one in which each stitch is made with a separate piece of material.

Lembert suture  an inverting suture used in gastrointestinal surgery.

lock-stitch suture  a continuous hemostatic suture used in intestinal surgery, in which the needle is, after each stitch, passed through the loop of the preceding stitch.

loop suture  interrupted s.

mattress suture  a method in which the stitches are parallel with (horizontal mattress s.) or at right angles to (vertical mattress s.) the wound edges.

nonabsorbable suture  suture material which is not absorbed in the body.

purse-string suture  a continuous, circular inverting suture, such as is used to bury the stump of the appendix.

relaxation suture  any suture so formed that it may be loosened to relieve tension as necessary.

subcuticular suture  a method of skin closure involving placement of stitches in the subcuticular tissues parallel with the line of the wound.

uninterrupted suture  continuous s.

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in·ter·rupt·ed suture (nt-rptd)

n.

A suture in which each stitch is made from a separate piece of material and fixed by tying the ends together.

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interrupted suture

[in′tərup′tid]

Etymology: L, interrumpere, to sever, sutura

a single suture tied separately, as distinguished from a continuous suture.

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suture [soo´chur]

1. sutura.

2. a stitch or series of stitches made to secure apposition of the edges of a surgical or traumatic wound; used also as a verb to indicate application of such stitches.

3. material used in closing a wound with stitches. adj., adj su´tural.

Various types of sutures. From Dorland's, 2000.

absorbable suture a strand of material that is used for closing wounds and becomes dissolved in the body fluids and disappears; types include surgical gut, tendon, and some synthetics.

apposition suture a superficial suture used for exact approximation of the cutaneous edges of a wound.

approximation suture a deep suture for securing apposition of the deep tissue of a wound.

buried suture one placed within the tissues and concealed by the skin.

catgut suture an absorbable suture made from surgical gut.

cobbler's suture double-armed suture.

collagen suture a suture made from the tendons of cattle, chemically treated, purified, and processed into strands; it is most often used in ophthalmologic surgery.

continuous suture one in which a continuous, uninterrupted length of material is used.

coronal suture the line of union between the frontal bone and the parietal bones.

cranial suture the lines of junction between the bones of the skull.

Czerny's suture

1. an intestinal suture in which the thread is passed through the mucous membrane only.

2. union of a ruptured tendon by splitting one of the ends and suturing the other end into the slit.

Czerny-Lembert suture a combination of the Czerny and the Lembert sutures.

double-armed suture one made with suture material threaded through a needle at each end. Called also cobbler's suture.

false suture a line of junction between apposed surfaces without fibrous union of the bones.

Gély's suture a continuous stitch for wounds of the intestine, made with a thread having a needle at each end.

interrupted suture one in which each stitch is made with a separate piece of material.

lambdoid suture the line of union between the upper borders of the occipital and parietal bones, shaped like the Greek letter lambda.

Lembert suture an inverting suture used in gastrointestinal surgery.

lock-stitch suture a continuous hemostatic suture used in intestinal surgery, in which the needle is, after each stitch, passed through the loop of the preceding stitch.

mattress suture suturing with the stitches parallel to the wound edges (horizontal mattress suture) or at right angles to them (vertical mattress suture).

purse-string suture a type of suture commonly used to bury the stump of the appendix, a continuous running suture being placed about the opening, and then drawn tight.

relaxation suture any suture so formed that it may be loosened to relieve tension as necessary.

retention suture a reinforcing suture made of exceptionally strong material such as wire, and including large amounts of tissue in each stitch. Used to relieve pressure on the primary suture line and to decrease the potential for wound dehiscence.

sagittal suture the line of union of the two parietal bones, dividing the skull anteroposteriorly into two symmetrical halves.

squamous suture the suture between the pars squamosa of the temporal bone and parietal bone.

subcuticular suture a method of skin closure involving placement of stitches in the subcuticular tissues parallel with the line of the wound.

synthetic absorbable suture an absorbable suture produced from strands of polymers; the most commonly used materials are polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) and polyglycolic acid (Dexon); the latter is more rapidly absorbed. Synthetic absorbable sutures are absorbed by slow hydrolysis, a chemical process in which the polymer reacts with tissue fluids, causing a breakdown of the molecular structure of the material at a predictable rate and with minimal tissue reaction.

vertical mattress suture a suture whose stitches are at right angles to the edges of the wound, taking both deep and superficial bites of tissue; the superficial ones achieve more exact apposition of the cutaneous margins. When the suture material is pulled tight, the wound edges evert.

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suture (soo´chr),

n 1. a synarthrosis between two bones formed in a membrane, the uniting medium (which tends to disappear eventually) being a fibrous membrane continuous with the periosteum.
2. a surgical stitch or seam.
3. the material with which body structures are sewn, as after an operation or injury.
v 4. to sew up a wound.

suture, absorbable,

n a suture that becomes dissolved in body fluids and disappears (e.g., catgut).

suture, approximation,

n a suture made to bring about apposition of the deeper tissues of an incision or laceration.

suture, blanket,

n a suturing technique that loops each stitch over the previous one to create a succession of loops along one side and stitches across the incision. Also called
continuous lock stitch.

suture, button,

n a suture passed through buttonlike disks on the skin to prevent the suture cutting the soft tissue.

suture, chromic,

n a chromatized sheepgut suture.

suture, circumferential,

n a suture completely surrounding the tooth; generally used to suspend or retain a flap.

suture, continuous,

n a suture in which an uninterrupted length of suture material is used to close an incision or laceration.

suture, craniofacial,

n the line along which bones of the cranium or face articulate in an immovable articulation.

suture, frontomalar,

n most lateral point of the suture between the frontal and zygoma (zygomatic bones).

suture, interdental,

n a suture that joins two sides of the gingiva by passing between the teeth.

suture, interrupted,

n individual stitches, each tied separately.

suture knot,

n the tiny fastening used to hold a suture in place firmly but not too tightly. The specific type is dictated by procedure, incision location, and tension required to close the wound.

suture, mattress,

n a continuous suture that is applied back and forth through the tissues in the same vertical plane but at a different depth, or in the same horizontal plane but at the same depth.

suture (median palatine suture),

n the line of fusion of the two maxillae (two palatine processes), starting between the central incisors and extending posteriorly across the palate, separating the horizontal plates of the palatine bones into two nearly equal parts.

suture, monofilament,

n refers to the single-strand composition of the material used to secure surgical stitches.

suture, multifilament,

n refers to the multiple-strand composition of the material used to secure surgical stitches.

suture, natural,

n a type of organic material used to secure surgical stitches that may react adversely with body tissue.

suture needle, conventional cut,

n a suturing needle with three cutting edges, one on either side and a third located on the inside curve.

suture, nonabsorbable,

n a suture that does not dissolve in body fluids (e.g., silk, tantalum, nylon).

suture, purse-string,

n a horizontal mattress suture used generally about an implant cervix.

suture, shoelace,

n a continuous surgical suture for depression of the tongue and retention and holding of the lingual flap out of the field of operation during the surgical impression.

suture, suspension (sling),

n a type of surgical stitching used when the flap being repaired is open on the lingual or facial side; surrounds the tooth by passing between the surrounding teeth and gum tissue. The stitch is adjustable and allows for adjustment of the flap for proper healing.

Suspension suture.

suture, synthetic,

n new technology in surgical stitches developed to counteract the unreliable absorption rates and tissue sensitivity associated with natural stitches.

suture, transverse palatine

n the line along which the bones of the palate and the superior maxilla articulate in an immovable articulation. Also known as
sutura palatina transversa.