Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product information only, not medical advice. Needle selection belongs to the clinician and the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
A suture needle’s size is usually its length in millimetres, printed by the manufacturer next to the needle code. It is a different thing from the suture strand size (the USP number such as 3-0), and a different thing again from the needle’s wire gauge. This page gives a lookup of real code-to-length pairs from one manufacturer and separates the three meanings of “size”.
Suture needle size chart (examples from one manufacturer)
The values below are from the Medtronic suture needles technical sheet, where the length column is headed “COMP LENGTH”. Style headings follow that sheet. This is a selection of 20 codes, not the full range.
| Needle code | Style (per the sheet) | Length |
|---|---|---|
| CV-1 / CVF-1 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 9 mm |
| CV-11 / CVF-11 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 13 mm |
| CV-15 / CVF-15 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 17 mm |
| CV-16 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 20 mm |
| CV-18 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 26 mm |
| CV-19 | Taper point, 3/8 circle | 50 mm |
| CV-20 | Taper point, 1/2 circle | 10 mm |
| CV-24 | Taper point, 1/2 circle | 20 mm |
| CV-25 | Taper point, 1/2 circle | 22 mm |
| P-16 | Premium reverse cutting, 3/8 circle | 7 mm |
| P-10 | Premium reverse cutting, 3/8 circle | 11 mm |
| P-12 | Premium reverse cutting, 3/8 circle | 19 mm |
| P-14 | Premium reverse cutting, 3/8 circle | 24 mm |
| P-18 | Premium reverse cutting, 3/8 circle | 39 mm |
| P-21 | Premium reverse cutting, 1/2 circle | 9 mm |
| P-22 | Premium reverse cutting, 1/2 circle | 13 mm |
| SC-11 | Cutting, straight | 11 mm |
| SC | Cutting, straight | 44 mm |
| SC-250 | Cutting, straight | 254 mm |
| ST-4 | Taper point, straight | 19 mm |
Check your product’s labelling: needle codes are set by each manufacturer, so the same letters and numbers on another maker’s needle do not necessarily mean the same length or shape. See suture needle types for how point, body and curvature are classified.
How to read a needle size
Read the code first, then the length in millimetres beside it. In the Ethicon suture catalogue, needle length is “the actual length measured in millimeters”, and needle silhouettes are printed at actual size, with the designated number above the needle giving that length.
Ethicon also states that many printed lengths have been rounded off and that it applies a rounding convention to all needle lengths, so a printed length is a catalogue convention, not a measurement of each individual needle. Curvature is given as a fraction of a circle: Ethicon describes needle shapes as 5/8, 1/2, 3/8 or 1/4 circle, and straight.
Needle size vs suture size (USP)
The USP size describes the diameter of the suture material, not the needle. Ethicon states that suture size, “denoting the diameter of the material, is in accordance with the United States Pharmacopeia (USP)”. A pack labelled with a USP strand size and a needle code therefore carries two separate size statements. For the strand itself, see what a suture is and absorbable vs non-absorbable sutures.
Length, curvature and wire gauge
Length
The millimetre figure in the chart above.
Curvature
The fraction of a circle the needle body follows. Two needles can share a length but differ in curvature, which is why the chart lists both.
Wire gauge
Ethicon notes that “the same size of needle may be made from finer gauge wire” or “heavier gauge wire”, the choice being the surgeon’s. Wire gauge is therefore a separate property from length. Needle alloy is a further, separate matter: the Medtronic sheet lists needle alloys by needle type and says alloy properties depend on the percentage ratio of the combined metals.
Common mix-ups
- Strand size is not needle size. A 3-0 or 4-0 USP number refers to the suture material.
- A code is not a standard. Letters such as CV, P, C or SC are manufacturer codes, so compare lengths, not letters, across brands.
- A printed length is rounded by convention (Ethicon), so treat the catalogue figure as a label value.
FAQ
Is suture needle size measured in millimetres?
Manufacturers such as Ethicon and Medtronic list needle length in millimetres beside the needle code. Check the product label or catalogue for the maker you have.
Is the USP suture size the needle size?
No. USP size describes the diameter of the suture material, per Ethicon’s catalogue. The needle is described separately by code, shape and length.
Do needle codes mean the same thing across brands?
No. Codes are assigned by each manufacturer. Use the maker’s own catalogue or instructions for use for the code on your product.
Does needle gauge change the needle’s length?
Ethicon describes gauge as the wire thickness (finer or heavier) and notes the same needle size may be made from either. It is a separate property from length.
Sources
- Medtronic, Suture needles technical sheet, https://www.medtronic.com/content/dam/medtronic-wide/public/western-europe/products/wound-closure/needles-tech-sheet.pdf (checked 2026-10-30): codes and “COMP LENGTH” values in the chart; alloy table.
- Johnson and Johnson MedTech / Ethicon, Suture Catalogue UK, General Information, https://www.jnjmedtech.com/system/files/pdf/157677-201101%20AH%20Suture%20Catalog%20UK.pdf (checked 2026-10-30): needle length, actual-size silhouettes, rounding convention, circle fractions, wire gauge, USP size.
