| abstract |
A barbed suture for connecting tissue, and a combination surgical needle with a barbed suture. The suture includes an elongated body and a plurality of barbs projecting from the body. Each barb causes the suture to resist movement in an opposite direction from which the barb faces. The surgical needle has a diameter at the needle's thickest part with a ratio of the surgical needle diameter to the barbed suture diameter of 3: 1 to 1.1:1. The disposition of the barbs on the body may be staggered, twist cut multiple spiral, overlapping, or random. Also, the configuration of the barbs may be a certain spirality angle alpha, barb cut angle theta, barb cut depth, barb cut length, barb cut distance, corrugated barb underside, arcuate barb base, or varying barb size. |