Sealed sources in synthetic absorbable suture: a new method for permanent interstitial implantation

Inactive gold grains are embedded at 1-cm intervals along a synthetic, absorbable surgical suture, then subjected to neutron irradiation in a nuclear reactor, forming a new material for permanent interstitial implant therapy. Assembling and activating the sealed sources in an absorbable carrier, the physical properties of the irradiated suture, its behavior in tissue, and the methods and results of implantation in the dog are described.