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Polyglactin 910 (PGLA) Sutures
Polyglactin 910 (PGLA) is a synthetic absorbable suture material made from a copolymer of glycolide and L-lactide, braided into a multifilament strand and usually coated. Like all synthetic absorbable sutures it is broken down by hydrolysis rather than by enzyme activity.
Why it matters
Polyglactin 910 and PGA are routinely spoken about as if they were one material. They are not: PGA is a glycolide homopolymer, polyglactin 910 adds a lactide fraction, and that is a compositional difference with its own profile in its own instructions for use. Knowing that the two are distinct materials is what stops a clinician from carrying an assumption about one across to the other.
Composition: what the lactide fraction is doing there
Polyglactin 910 is a copolymer. Its chain is built mainly from glycolide, the same monomer that forms PGA, with a smaller fraction of L-lactide distributed through it. Because both monomers polymerise into ester linkages, the material is hydrolytically absorbable in the same way PGA is — water reaches the backbone, cleaves it, and the chains shorten.
The lactide is not a trace additive; it is a constituent, and it makes the material a different one. Lactide carries a methyl group that glycolide does not, which changes how the chain packs and how readily water gets to the ester bonds. This is why polyglactin 910 and PGA have separate specifications stated in their separate instructions for use, and why an assumption formed about one should not be carried across to the other. The two are routinely discussed as though interchangeable. They are not.
Construction and the coating
The strand is a braid: many fine filaments laid together into one. Braiding is what gives the strand its pliability and the way it seats a knot, and it is also what leaves interstices between the filaments and gives the surface texture. The coating is a response to that construction rather than an extra applied on top of it — a braid has drag, and the coating addresses it.
On polyglactin 910 the coating is typically a copolymer of lactide and glycolide together with calcium stearate, the calcium salt of stearic acid, acting as the lubricant component. Both are water-repelling, and both are themselves absorbable, so the coating does not persist after the strand it was applied to. Polyglactin 910 is also supplied uncoated; the choice between the two is about passage and tie-down and belongs to the surgeon.
Coating is also where capillarity enters the discussion. Capillarity is a property of multifilament construction, and whether it matters is a question about the surgical field rather than about the suture on the shelf.
Naming
Polyglactin 910 is the generic material name — the one the pharmacopoeias use and the one that appears in the instructions for use. Individual manufacturers supply it under their own brand names. Dolphin Sutures manufactures polyglactin 910 under the brand name Petcryl 910, alongside PGA under the brand name Petcryl, which was the first synthetic absorbable suture manufactured in India.
– Read more about polyglactin sutures manufactured by Dolphin Sutures
Key terminology
- Glycolide
- The cyclic dimer of glycolic acid, and the major monomer in polyglactin 910. Polymerised alone it forms polyglycolic acid (PGA).
- L-lactide
- The cyclic dimer of L-lactic acid, and the minor monomer in polyglactin 910. Its presence in the chain is the compositional difference between this material and PGA.
- Copolymer
- A polymer built from more than one monomer. Polyglactin 910 is a copolymer of glycolide and L-lactide, as distinct from a homopolymer built from a single monomer.
- Hydrolysis
- Breakdown of the polymer by reaction with water. It proceeds by loss of tensile strength first, then loss of mass, and is the absorption mechanism for all synthetic absorbable sutures.
- Coating
- A surface layer applied to a braid to reduce drag through tissue and smooth knot tie-down. On polyglactin 910 it is typically a lactide/glycolide copolymer with calcium stearate.
- Calcium stearate
- The calcium salt of stearic acid. In a suture coating it acts as the lubricant component and is a water-repelling material.
- Capillarity
- The tendency of a multifilament strand to draw fluid along its length. A property of braid construction, relevant when considering a contaminated or infected field.
Technical characteristics
- Composition
- Copolymer of glycolide and L-lactide
- Construction
- Braided multifilament
- Coating
- Typically a copolymer of lactide and glycolide with calcium stearate; also supplied uncoated
- Absorption mechanism
- Hydrolysis — loss of tensile strength precedes loss of mass
- Colour
- Available dyed (violet) and undyed
- Dolphin brand
- Petcryl 910
- Strength retention & absorption period
- Stated in the instructions for use supplied with the product — these are product-specific and are not reproduced here.
- Indications
- Stated in the instructions for use. Polyglactin 910 is not indicated for every tissue type; the IFU specifies the exclusions.
- Standards
- Manufactured to meet the USP and EP requirements for synthetic absorbable surgical sutures
How it compares
| Material | Origin | Construction | Absorption mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyglactin 910 | Synthetic (glycolide/L-lactide copolymer) | Braided multifilament | Hydrolysis |
| PGA | Synthetic (100% glycolide) | Braided multifilament | Hydrolysis |
| Poliglecaprone | Synthetic (glycolide/caprolactone copolymer) | Monofilament | Hydrolysis |
| Polydioxanone | Synthetic (p-dioxanone) | Monofilament | Hydrolysis |
| Catgut | Natural (purified collagen) | Twisted | Enzymatic (proteolytic) |
What clinicians weigh when selecting
Copolymer against homopolymer
The lactide fraction is what separates polyglactin 910 from PGA. The relevant question is whether you are reasoning from the correct material's instructions for use, since the two are frequently discussed interchangeably and are not the same.
Coated against uncoated
Polyglactin 910 is supplied both ways. Coating smooths passage and tie-down; the trade-off between passage and how a knot seats is a matter of surgeon preference and technique.
Absorption profile against healing time
The relevant question is how long the tissue needs support, read against the strength-retention profile in the product's instructions for use. A material that outlasts the need is not automatically the safer choice.
Braid construction and the field
Capillarity is a property of multifilament construction. Whether it matters is a judgement about whether the field is clean, contaminated or infected — a question about the case, not about the material.
Regulatory status in your market
Approved indications differ by market. The instructions for use supplied with the product in your country is the governing document.
Frequently asked questions
Is polyglactin 910 the same as PGA?
No. PGA is a homopolymer of 100% glycolide; polyglactin 910 is a copolymer of glycolide and L-lactide. Both are synthetic, braided and absorbed by hydrolysis, but they are different materials with separate profiles in their own instructions for use.
Is polyglactin 910 a brand name?
No — it is the generic material name, and the one the pharmacopoeias and the instructions for use use. Several manufacturers supply polyglactin 910 under their own brand names; Dolphin Sutures supplies it as Petcryl 910.
How is polyglactin 910 absorbed?
By hydrolysis — reaction with water in the tissue. The strand loses tensile strength first and mass afterwards, which is why the two are stated as separate figures. This differs from catgut, which is broken down by enzymes.
How long does polyglactin 910 take to absorb?
The absorption period is product-specific and is stated in the instructions for use supplied with the product. We do not publish absorption figures outside that document, because the IFU is the controlled source.
What is the coating made of?
Typically a copolymer of lactide and glycolide together with calcium stearate, which acts as the lubricant component. The coating is itself absorbable. Polyglactin 910 is also supplied uncoated.
What sizes is it available in?
Gauge availability is product-specific. See the product page for the codes and sizes offered, and the instructions for use for the specification each size meets.
Instructions for use
The instructions for use supplied with the product is the controlled document for indications, contraindications, strength-retention and absorption data, warnings and precautions. Where this article and the instructions for use differ, the instructions for use govern. Approved indications vary by market.
Medical & regulatory notice
This article is general reference information about a suture material for healthcare professionals. It is not medical advice, not a recommendation for any procedure or patient, and not a substitute for the instructions for use supplied with the product or for clinical judgement. Product availability and approved indications vary by market. Dolphin Sutures manufactures surgical sutures; nothing here should be read as a claim of clinical benefit or of superiority over another material.