Vicryl is an absorbable, synthetic, braided suture, manufactured by Ethicon Inc.

Ethicon Inc.

Ethicon, Inc. is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. It was incorporated as a separate company under the Johnson & Johnson umbrella in 1949 to expand and diversify the Johnson & Johnson product line....

, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson.
It is indicated for soft tissue approximation and ligation

Ligation

Ligation may refer to:* In molecular biology, the covalent linking of two ends of DNA molecules using DNA ligase* In medicine, the making of a ligature * Chemical ligation, the production of peptides from amino acids...

. The suture holds its tensile strength for approximately three to four weeks in tissue, and is completely absorbed by hydrolysis

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which molecules of water are split into hydrogen cations and hydroxide anions in the process of a chemical mechanism. It is the type of reaction that is used to break down certain polymers, especially those made by condensation polymerization...

 within 60 days. Vicryl and other polyglycolic acid sutures may also be treated for more rapid breakdown in rapidly healing tissues such as mucous membrane, or impregnated with triclosan

Triclosan

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It is a polychloro phenoxy phenol. Despite being used in many consumer products, beyond its use in toothpaste to prevent gingivitis, there is no evidence according to the American Food and Drug Administration that triclosan provides an extra...

 to provide antimicrobial protection of the suture line.

Although the name "Vicryl" is a trademark of Ethicon, the term "vicryl" has been used generically referring to any synthetic absorbable suture made primarily of polyglycolic acid. Other brands of polyglycolic acid suture include Surgicryl, Biovek, Visorb, Polysorb and Dexon, all of which are manufactured by different companies.