• Stephen Rothenburger, Daniel Spangler, Shubhangi Bhende, and Daniel Burkley.
• Ethicon, Inc, Somerville, New Jersey 08876, USA. srothenb@ethus.jnj.com
• Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2002 Jan 1; 3 Suppl 1: S79-87.

BackgroundIn this study, coated polyglactin 910 suture with triclosan was evaluated for its ability to inhibit the growth of wild-type and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis using several in vitro models.MethodsIn the standard experimental procedure, sterile sutures were inoculated with bacteria, plated in semisolid culture media, incubated for 24 h, and examined for zones of inhibition surrounding the sutures. Sutures were pretreated by several methods prior to inoculation, these included: 24-h aqueous immersion, serial 7-day aqueous immersion, knotting, and passage through subcutaneous and fascial tissue. Sutures were also compared to determine if suture diameter had an effect on the zone of inhibition.ResultsCoated polyglactin 910 suture with triclosan inhibited growth of test organisms consistently over a range of suture diameters and treatment conditions. The antibacterial effect was robust and did not diminish when sutures were placed in an aqueous environment for up to 7 days. Knotted suture with triclosan inhibited bacterial colonization after replicate inoculation. The bacteria-free zone surrounding each knotted suture had a volume of 14.5 cm(3) for S. epidermidis and 17.8 cm(3) for S. aureus. Coated polyglactin 910 suture with triclosan continued to produce zones of inhibition after five and 10 passes through fascia and subcutaneous tissue.ConclusionThese data support the conclusion that coated polyglactin 910 suture with triclosan provides antimicrobial effect sufficient to prevent in vitro colonization by S. aureus and S. epidermidis.

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