A type of joint, found only between the bones of the skull, in which the adjacent bones are mobile during birth but then become so closely and firmly joined by a layer of connective tissue that movement between them is impossible. The term suture is also used to refer to a surgical stitch (see suturing).
A word used in both an anatomical and a surgical sense. (1) Anatomically, suture is a type of immovable joint, found particularly in the SKULL, including the coronal suture (between the frontal and parietal bones); the lamboidal suture (between the parietal and occipital bones); and the sagittal suture (between the two parietal bones). (2) Surgically the word refers either to the technique of closing a wound, or to the material used. Stitching methods have been developed for gastrointestinal, neurological, dermatological and other forms of surgery, and include laser surgery and removable clips or staples. The material used is generally divided into mono?lament, twisted or braided. Absorbable sutures – used for internal stitching
– include catgut, Vicryl® and Dexon®. Nonabsorbable sutures include silk, nylon and prolene. The type used and time of suture-removal depend upon the site and general state of the patient. Those patients on steroids who have a malignant or infective disorder heal slowly, and their sutures may need to stay in for 14 days or more instead of the usual 5–8 days.
1. n. (in anatomy) a type of immovable joint, found particularly in the skull, that is characterized by a minimal amount of connective tissue between the two bones. The cranial sutures include the coronal suture, between the frontal and parietal bones; the lambdoidal suture, between the parietal and occipital bones; and the sagittal suture, between the two parietal bones (see illustration). 2. n. (in surgery) the closure of a wound or incision to facilitate the healing process, using any of various materials. A wide variety of suturing techniques have been developed to meet the differing circumstances of injuries to and incisions in the body tissues (see illustration). 3. n. the material – silk, catgut, nylon, any of various polymers, or wire – used to sew up a wound. 4. vb. to close a wound by suture.
a technique in which a compression suture is applied to the uterus, which can be used in cases of severe *postpartum haemorrhage as an alternative to an emergency hysterectomy. A pair of vertical sutures are inserted around the uterus to appose the anterior and posterior walls and to apply continuous compression, which stems the bleeding. [C. Balogun-Lynch (21st century), British obstetrician and gynaecologist]... b-lynch brace suture
Health Encyclopedia