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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Who uses it: surgeons and operating-room teams use polyglactin 910 sutures; clinic staff, buyers and students read about them to match a catalogue listing to a product class. Short answer: polyglactin 910 is the material name for Ethicon’s VICRYL absorbable synthetic suture. In US regulation it falls under 21 CFR 878.4493, a Class II device type for absorbable poly(glycolide/l-lactide) surgical suture.
What polyglactin 910 is, and what Vicryl means
Ethicon lists its VICRYL suture with the material “POLYGLACTIN 910” and the label “ABSORBABLE” on its product page (checked 2026-10-30). Polyglactin 910 is the material name; VICRYL is the brand. Searches for “what is Vicryl suture” and “polyglactin 910 suture uses” therefore point to the same product class. An absorbable suture is a strand the body gradually absorbs, as opposed to one that stays in place.
What is Vicryl suture made of?
Ethicon names the material as polyglactin 910. The FDA regulation that covers the product’s device type, 21 CFR 878.4493, describes an absorbable, sterile, flexible strand prepared and synthesized from homopolymers of glycolide and copolymers made from 90 percent glycolide and 10 percent l-lactide. The regulation text does not use the words “polyglactin” or “Vicryl”. The link between the brand and the regulation comes from FDA 510(k) K183183, in which applicant ETHICON, Inc. lists VICRYL Polyglactin 910 Sterile Synthetic Absorbable Surgical Suture under product code GAM and regulation 878.4493 (decision date 2019-06-27).
How it is regulated
| Item | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Device type | Absorbable poly(glycolide/l-lactide) surgical suture | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Class | Class II (special controls) | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Special control | Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Surgical Sutures; Guidance for Industry and FDA | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Form | May be monofilament or multifilament (braided); uncoated or coated; undyed or dyed with an FDA-approved color additive; with or without a standard needle attached | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Indication of the device type | Soft tissue approximation | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Pharmacopeial requirement | Meets United States Pharmacopeia (U.S.P.) requirements | 21 CFR 878.4493 |
| Vicryl clearance record | 510(k) K183183, ETHICON, Inc., product code GAM, decision date 2019-06-27 | FDA 510(k) database |
The regulation describes the device type in general. Which form applies to a given Vicryl product (for example monofilament or braided) comes from the manufacturer’s instructions for use for that product.
Types: the Vicryl product family
Ethicon and J&J MedTech list these polyglactin 910 product names (checked 2026-10-30):
| Product name | Material listed | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Coated VICRYL (polyglactin 910) suture | Polyglactin 910 | Core product line |
| VICRYL Rapide (polyglactin 910) suture | Polyglactin 910 | Separate product line; handling and absorption details are in its instructions for use |
| Coated VICRYL Plus Antibacterial (polyglactin 910) suture | Polyglactin 910 | Separate product line; specifics are in its instructions for use |
“Vicryl Plus”, “Vicryl Rapide uses” and “Vicryl suture types” all refer to these lines. This page does not give absorption times, strength retention or indications for Rapide or Plus. Those figures belong to the manufacturer’s current instructions for use, which Ethicon publishes through its e-IFU service.
How to read a catalogue listing
Ethicon’s product page for VICRYL (polyglactin 910) suture 9-0, code V549G, shows what a listing contains:
| Field | Value on that listing |
|---|---|
| Product | VICRYL (polyglactin 910) Suture, TG140-8, double armed |
| Size and color | 9-0, violet, 1 x 12 inch |
| Material | Polyglactin 910 |
| Absorbable? | Absorbable |
| Absorption rate | 56-70 days |
| Needle | GS-9, 6.5 mm, spatula |
| Packaging | 12 per box |
Vicryl Plus listings on J&J MedTech use the same pattern of size, color, length and needle code, for example VCP397H (4-0, violet, 1 x 27 inch, FS-2 needle) and VCP453H (2-0, FS-1 needle). The 56-70 day figure is that listing’s absorption rate for that product, not a rule for every Vicryl product.
How to choose
Choosing a suture for a patient is a clinical decision made by the clinician using the current instructions for use. For buyers, the practical checks are the material name, the product line, the size, the needle code and the pack size shown on the listing. For the contrast between absorbable and non-absorbable types, see absorbable vs non-absorbable sutures.
Safe use and handling basics
- Single use: the manufacturer states not to re-sterilize or reuse.
- Discard opened packages and any unused sutures.
- Prolonged contact with salt solutions may result in calculus formation.
- Like other absorbable materials, the suture may act transiently as a foreign body.
- Follow the instructions for use that came in the packaging; the e-IFU site is where Ethicon says current instructions are found.
Common mistakes
- Treating “Vicryl” and “polyglactin 910” as different materials. One is the brand, the other the material name.
- Assuming the CFR text names Vicryl. It does not; the link is the 510(k) record.
- Applying the 56-70 day absorption figure from one listing to Rapide or Plus products.
- Confusing it with related materials such as polyglycolic acid, polyglyconate or the material in Monocryl suture.
FAQ
What is Vicryl suture?
Vicryl is Ethicon’s brand of absorbable synthetic suture made of polyglactin 910, a Class II device type under 21 CFR 878.4493.
What is Vicryl suture made of?
Polyglactin 910, per Ethicon’s product page. The regulation for the device type covers glycolide homopolymers and 90/10 glycolide/l-lactide copolymers.
What are Vicryl suture uses?
The regulation’s indication for this device type is soft tissue approximation. Product-specific indications are in each product’s instructions for use.
What is Vicryl Rapide?
A separate polyglactin 910 product line from Ethicon. Its timelines and uses are in its own instructions for use.
What is Vicryl Plus?
Coated VICRYL Plus Antibacterial is a separate polyglactin 910 product line. Its specifics are in its instructions for use.
What are the Vicryl suture types?
Coated VICRYL, VICRYL Rapide and Coated VICRYL Plus Antibacterial, in many sizes, colors and needle configurations. Related suture categories are on braided sutures; see also what a suture is and suture needle types.
Sources
- 21 CFR 878.4493, Absorbable poly(glycolide/l-lactide) surgical suture: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.4493 (checked 2026-10-30)
- FDA 510(k) K183183: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMN/pmn.cfm?ID=K183183 (checked 2026-10-30)
- Ethicon product page, VICRYL (polyglactin 910) Suture V549G: https://www.ethicon.com/emea/epc/code/v549g (checked 2026-10-30)
- J&J MedTech product pages for Coated VICRYL (https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-EMEA/product/coated-vicryl-polyglactin-910-suture), VICRYL Rapide (https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-EMEA/product/vicryl-rapide-polyglactin-910-suture) and Coated VICRYL Plus Antibacterial (https://www.jnjmedtech.com/en-EMEA/product/coated-vicryl-plus-antibacterial-polyglactin-910-suture), checked 2026-10-30
