Scientists from Perm Polytechnic University have developed a composite surgical thread with an adjustable resorption period. The product is a bundle of 19 polyglycolide fibers covered with a hybrid composition of polymers and starch. By changing the coating thickness, the thread's disappearance time can be set – exactly after 15, 20, 25, or 30 days. This distinguishes the novelty from existing analogues, which either last too long (up to 70 days or more) or decompose in just 7–10 days, failing to hold the wound edges.
The thread's strength is six times greater than the loads encountered during actual surgery: one bundle withstands 28 Newtons, while maximum surgical forces do not exceed 5 Newtons. Additionally, the scientists created a computer model that predicts the material's behavior with 98 percent accuracy. The algorithm accounts for autocatalysis – the acceleration of decomposition due to the accumulation of hydrolysis products.
The development is particularly relevant for plastic, pediatric, and abdominal surgery, where inflammation from foreign material or suture dehiscence critically affects patient health and aesthetics. The thread safely breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, leaving no toxins.
