Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Quill SRS is the original barbed, knotless suture brand: an absorbable thread with tiny barbs cut along its length and a needle on each end, so tissue can be held together without tying knots. This page lays out what the name means, how it relates to V-Loc and Stratafix, and the FDA clearance trail behind each family, so catalogue names are easier to decode.
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
Who uses it: surgeons and operating-room teams use barbed sutures, and the clinic and hospital supply staff who stock them need to read the catalogue names correctly.
What is Quill SRS?
Quill Self-Retaining System (SRS) is a brand of barbed surgical suture. A 2008 product review in Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology quotes the package insert: the system “consists of barbed suture material, armed with a surgical needle on each end. Barbs allow for tissue approximation without the need to tie surgical knots.”
In FDA records the clearances are for soft tissue approximation sutures. The first Quill SRS entry in the FDA 510(k) database is K071989, “Quill Self-Retaining System (SRS) Synthetic Absorbable Surgical Suture Material” (decided 2007-08-06, substantially equivalent). An earlier entry, K051609 “Quill Synthetic Absorbable Barbed Suture” (Quill Medical, decided 2005-08-04), carries the same product code.
What is barbed suture, and how is it built?
A barbed suture is an ordinary suture filament with barbs cut into its surface. The 2008 review describes Quill SRS as standard suture materials with “tiny barbs cut into the length of the filament in a helical array set facing in opposite directions from the midpoint with a needle on each end.” The barbs on one half grip the tissue while the opposing barbs on the other half balance them, which is why no knot is needed.
What does bidirectional barbed suture mean?
Bidirectional means the barbs point one way on the first half of the filament and the opposite way on the second half, reversing at the midpoint, with a needle at each end. That is the layout the review describes for Quill SRS. The review lists the base materials used with the design as a glycolide and caprolactone copolymer (PGA-PCL), polydioxanone, nylon and polypropylene.
Is a barbed suture a different kind of suture material?
Not in regulatory terms. FDA classifies sutures by material, and barbed or “knotless” products are cleared under those same material-based product codes. The regulations quoted below all describe the suture as sterile and intended for soft tissue approximation, and all place it in Class II with special controls.
Barbed suture types and the Quill, V-Loc and Stratafix families
The table lists clearance records from the openFDA 510(k) database (checked 2026-10-30). It shows how each family’s catalogue name maps to a regulated suture type. It describes clearances only and does not rank the products.
| Family and FDA device name | 510(k) number and decision date | Product code (FDA name) |
|---|---|---|
| Quill Self-Retaining System (SRS), synthetic absorbable (Surgical Specialties Corp) | K071989, 2007-08-06 | NEW (absorbable polydioxanone suture) |
| Quill SRS comprised of polydioxanone (PDO) | K080985, 2008-04-23 | NEW |
| Quill PDO Knotless Tissue-Closure Device (Angiotech) | K120827, 2012-07-13 | NEW |
| Quill Polypropylene Knotless Tissue-Closure Device, Variable Loop Design (Angiotech) | K151112, 2015-09-10 | GAW (nonabsorbable polypropylene suture) |
| V-Loc 180 Absorbable Wound Closure Device (Tyco Healthcare) | K093408, 2009-11-12 | GAM (absorbable synthetic polyglycolic acid suture) |
| V-Loc Nonabsorbable Wound Closure Device (Covidien) | K103052, 2010-11-10 | GAT (nonabsorbable synthetic suture) |
| Stratafix Symmetric PDS Plus Knotless Tissue Control Devices (Ethicon) | K141776, 2014-10-15; latest K252047, 2026-05-18 | NEW |
| Stratafix Spiral PDS Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device (Ethicon) | K150670, 2015-07-02 | NEW |
| Stratafix Spiral Monocryl / Monocryl Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device (Ethicon) | K151200, 2015-08-13; K221744, 2022-11-15 | GAM |
Three points follow from the records. First, the naming changed over time: the 2005 to 2008 Quill entries say “Quill SRS” or “barbed suture”, while later entries use “Knotless Tissue-Closure Device”, and Ethicon’s entries use “Knotless Tissue Control Device”. All of these names describe barbed, knotless suture. Second, “Symmetric” and “Spiral” are the two variant names in the Stratafix records, and they appear as separate 510(k) entries. Third, the newest Stratafix record in this set is K252047, decided 2026-05-18.
What FDA product codes and regulations apply?
The openFDA classification database (checked 2026-10-30) lists each product code in the table as Class 2:
- NEW: absorbable polydioxanone suture, 21 CFR 878.4840. The regulation describes it as “an absorbable, flexible, sterile, monofilament thread prepared from polyester polymer poly (p-dioxanone) and is intended for use in soft tissue approximation, including pediatric cardiovascular tissue where growth is expected to occur, and ophthalmic surgery,” coated or uncoated, with or without a standard needle (21 CFR 878.4840, checked 2026-10-30).
- GAM: absorbable synthetic polyglycolic acid suture (FDA’s code name), 21 CFR 878.4493, indicated for soft tissue approximation and meeting USP requirements for absorbable surgical sutures; it may be monofilament or braided.
- GAW: nonabsorbable synthetic polypropylene suture, 21 CFR 878.5010, a monofilament thread indicated for soft tissue approximation.
- GAT: nonabsorbable synthetic suture. FDA’s classification record cites 21 CFR 878.5000, which describes a multifilament, nonabsorbable polyester suture indicated for soft tissue approximation.
Each regulation names the same special control, FDA’s Class II Special Controls Guidance Document on surgical sutures. The 2008 review reports Quill SRS was cleared as substantially equivalent to PDS II absorbable suture for soft tissue approximation where an absorbable suture is appropriate. Substantial equivalence is an FDA clearance finding, not a statement about clinical performance.
What matters when comparing names in a catalogue?
- Material code. The product code (NEW, GAM, GAW, GAT) tells you whether the thread is absorbable or nonabsorbable and which polymer family it is. The regulation for that code is the authoritative definition.
- Brand versus device name. A catalogue may use a brand (Quill, V-Loc, Stratafix) while the FDA record uses a generic phrase such as “knotless tissue-closure device”. Search the 510(k) database for either.
- Variant names. Variant words such as Symmetric, Spiral, 180 or Variable Loop Design come from the clearance titles and identify separate entries in the database.
- Instructions for use. Sizes, needle types, lengths and any use limits are set in the manufacturer’s instructions for use for the specific product, so check that document for the exact item stocked. For general background on suture classes, see the CASRAI guide What is a suture? and the comparison absorbable vs. non-absorbable sutures.
Safe use and handling basics
Every regulation above describes these sutures as sterile and for soft tissue approximation. Handling and use follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use for the specific product. The 2008 review notes that Quill SRS had a very limited clinical track record at the time of writing and called for clinical trials, so the clearance history above should not be read as evidence of outcomes. Conventional braided sutures are a separate product class, and a barbed suture is not interchangeable with one by name alone. Each device has its own FDA entry and its own instructions. See also what a medical device is and how unique device identification works, which helps trace the exact device on a package.
Common mistakes
- Treating “Quill” as a material. It is a brand family; the material is shown by the product code and regulation (for example PDO under 21 CFR 878.4840).
- Assuming Quill, V-Loc and Stratafix are one product. FDA records them as separate clearances from different applicants, with their own variant names.
- Reading an old name as a discontinued product. The 2005 to 2008 “Quill SRS” entries and the 2012 and later “Knotless Tissue-Closure Device” entries are different clearance titles; this page does not state which items are currently sold.
- Reading “substantially equivalent” as a performance claim. It is FDA’s finding that a device is as safe and effective as a legally marketed one for the cleared indication.
FAQ
What does SRS stand for in Quill SRS?
Self-Retaining System, as shown in the FDA device name for K071989 and K080985.
What is barbed suture?
A suture with barbs cut into the filament so it holds tissue without a knot. The package insert quoted in the 2008 review says barbs “allow for tissue approximation without the need to tie surgical knots.”
What are the types of barbed suture?
In the FDA records above they are grouped by material (PDO, polyglycolic acid, polypropylene, nonabsorbable) and by brand variant (Quill SRS, V-Loc 180, Stratafix Symmetric and Spiral).
What is the difference between bidirectional and spiral designs?
Bidirectional describes the Quill layout, with barbs reversing at the midpoint and a needle on each end. “Spiral” and “Symmetric” are Stratafix variant names in FDA records; consult the manufacturer’s instructions for use for how each is built.
What is barbed suture used for?
The cleared indication in the FDA regulations for these suture types is soft tissue approximation. Specific surgical uses are decided by clinicians and set out in each product’s instructions for use.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-30.
- openFDA device 510(k) database, entries K051609, K071989, K080985, K093408, K103052, K120827, K141776, K150670, K151112, K151200, K182873, K221744 and K252047: https://api.fda.gov/device/510k.json
- openFDA device classification database, product codes NEW, GAM, GAW and GAT: https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json
- 21 CFR 878.4840 (absorbable polydioxanone suture): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.4840
- 21 CFR 878.4493 (absorbable PGL suture): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.4493
- 21 CFR 878.5010 (nonabsorbable polypropylene suture): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.5010
- 21 CFR 878.5000 (nonabsorbable polyester suture): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/878.5000
- Greenberg JA. Quill Self-Retaining System. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2008;1(4):201-202: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2621050/
