Composite suture material based on polylactide accelerates the healing of surgical wounds in <i>in vivo</i> experiment

In laboratory conditions, composite sutures based on polylactide (PLA) containing chitin nanofibrils modified with polyethylene glycol (CN-PEG) and poviargol (silver nanoparticles stabilized with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)) were obtained, studied, and used as a prototype. Surgical sutures threads with the addition of CN-PEG have stable mechanical properties both in air and in a buffer simulating the environment of a living organism. The yield strength of oriented threads decreased by an average of 15%, whereas for non-oriented threads the decrease was 3-4 times. The strength values in simple units of unfilled PLA, PLA containing 5 wt % CN-PEG, and PLA with 1 wt % Poviargol were on average 50% higher than the national standard 31620-2012. The results of in vivo experiments on albino rats (cross-linking skin and muscle tissue in the linea alba area) showed that composite sutures are best for suturing muscle tissue, whereas unfilled PLA sutures are more suitable for suturing skin. When suturing muscle tissue, suturing with composite sutures increased the number of collagen fibers of different diameters.