Braided polyester sutures, such as Ethibond, are commonly used in orthopaedic and hand surgery procedures. Uses include flexor tendon repair, ligament reconstruction, repair of ruptured biceps and patellar tendons (Sutton et al, 2010). Many of these techniques involve passing the suture through a bone tunnel, with or without the help of a hypodermic needle. A braided polyester suture has been noted for its ease of handling, but when this has to be threaded through a bone tunnel or a hypodermic needle the pliable suture material is difficult to push through.
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