Relationship of the diameter and tensile strength of nylon sutures to the USP specification and the effect of preconditioning.

Nylon monofilament sutures were tested in a straight pull as well as a conventional knot pull tensile test. In each test, sutures were evaluated following storage under prevailing atmospheric conditions or saturation in whole human blood. Blood saturation decreased the ultimate tensile strength by as much as 20%. The present investigation of sutures that were stored under prevailing atmospheric conditions substantiated the proposal previously made for polypropylene monofilaments--that 60% of the ultimate tensile strength could be established as a fundamental USP criterion for Class I monofilament sutures.