title: Enhancing needle durability by silicone coating of surgical needles.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of coating surgical needles with silicone on their durability. Needle durability is a measure of needle sharpness after repeated passage through tissue. Needle sharpness was determined by quantitating the energy required to pass a designated needle repeatedly (20 times) through porcine skin, linea alba, colon, and aorta. The results demonstrate that the durability and sharpness of silicone-coated needles were significantly greater than those of comparable uncoated needles in linea alba, colon, and aorta, but not in skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville 22908, USA.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: McClung
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Thacker
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Rodeheaver
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Edlich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008422:Materials Testing; D009339:Needles / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D012828:Silicones / Q000009:adverse effects; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D012828:Silicones