title: A new, compound-curved needle for vascular surgery.
abstract: A new, compound-curved needle has been designed and developed for vascular surgery from a unique stainless steel alloy, American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) 45500. This needle has two different radii of curvature and a relatively straight body followed by a short, curved tapered point. Despite its geometry, it exhibits a similar sharpness, as well as resistance to bending and breakage, as did a curved needle with a single radius of curvature manufactured from the same alloy. The design of this new needle enabled the surgeon to pass it through the vessel wall with greater accuracy to a controlled depth and length of bite than the curved cutting edge needle with a single radius of curvature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Tribble
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Towler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Bellian
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Edlich
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004867:Equipment Design; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D009339:Needles / Q000592:standards; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D013193:Stainless Steel