What Is 5 Ethibond?

A surgical suture manufactured by Ethicon, 5 Ethibond is made of nylon, braided to make it easier to handle and dyed green to make it visible against blood and tissue. It does not dissolve over time and does not absorb body fluids.

Size

• Surgical sutures size or diameter is usually indicated by a number of zeroes, such as 5-0 (also written 00000). The Ethicon product catalog lists 5 Ethibond with no zeroes, but it comes in multiple lengths and with various swaged-on (attached) needles. Ethibond also comes in other sizes, from 1 to 6.

Uses

• The authors of "Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist" describe 5 Ethibond as useful in eye surgery and tendon repair. The Heart Surgery Forum mentions other uses, including in open-heart surgery to repair the sternum. In fracture repair tension banding, it is comparable to stainless steel wire.

Knots

• In "Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist," the authors note that 5 Ethibond is a little hard to handle and tie, and that it holds knots poorly. H.W. Boothe, Jr., DVM, MS, recommends using at least four throws of a knot when tying nylon suture, which would include 5 Ethibond. E.J.C. Van Rijssel, et al, writing in "Obstetrics & Gynecology," support this by showing that using more knot throws is less traumatic to tissue than using a larger suture size.