Capillarity is defined as the extent to which fluid is attracted along the suture material.

• A. Extent to which fluid is attracted along the suture material
• B. Rate of infection along the wound
• C. Tissue elasticity
• D. Viscosity of tissue

Answer: (A)

Capillarity is the ability of a liquid to move along a solid surface due to adhesive forces between the liquid and the surface and cohesive forces within the liquid. In the context of sutures, this means how readily wound fluid can wick along the thread. This is why the definition given is the best choice: capillarity describes the extent to which fluid is attracted and travels along the suture material. Different suture materials vary in this property (hydrophilic materials wick more than hydrophobic ones), which can influence how fluids and potentially contaminants spread along the wound track. The other options describe infection rate, tissue elasticity, or tissue viscosity, which are not measures of a liquid’s movement along a suture.