Catgut Suture Material

Catgut suture is made by twisting together strands of purified collagen taken from the submucosal layer of the small intestine of healthy ruminants (sheep ,goats). The natural plain thread is precision ground in order to achieve a monofilament character and treated with a glycerol-containing solution. The suture is sterilized with a sterilizing fluid containing ethylene oxide, isopropyl alcohol and distilled water, is straw-colored, and is available in sizes USP 6-0 (1 metric) to USP 3 (7 metric). Although the name implies the usage of guts of cats, there is no record of feline guts being used for this purpose. Perhaps another possible explanation of the name is the combination of the words cattle and gut.