Surgical suture needles.

Abstract

Have a needle thre cornered…and the lippis of the wound schal be sowid togideris Lanfranc of Milan (1250−1315) The original date of the first needle-and-thread insertion for wound closure is uncertain. Ancient terminology referred to the sutura cruenta, or the ‘bloody’ or ‘true’ suture. Organic needles preceded those made of metal. Bronze needles for stitching bandages into position were employed by the Romans and the Sushruta Indian texts of 800 Bc are said to have described iron triangular and pointed needles. Creating an eye in needles made of any early organic or inorganic material always proved challenging and some proximal needle ends had notches, spring, or slot eyes rather than the usual complete standard excavated eyes (Fig. 1) Onwards of the sixteenth century, the eye for threading sutures was sometimes placed near to the point of a (broader) needle, mounted on a handle. As the point pierced the pedicle, the thread was carried through and was then slid out of the eye, to be tied.