Final answer:
Tensile strength is the breaking stress that will cause permanent deformation or fracture of a material, such as a suture. It is the key property determining a suture's ability to withstand applied tension without failing. Understanding tensile strength helps ensure surgical sutures are strong enough for medical use. The correct option is D. Tensile strength
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of applied tension necessary to break a suture is known as tensile strength. This term refers to the breaking stress that will cause permanent deformation or fracture of a material. Tensile strength is a critical property for materials, including those used in medical sutures, wires, ropes, and cables. It indicates how much stress the material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before it breaks.
Using Hooke's law, it's evident that deformation is proportional to the applied force within the limits of the material's elasticity. Once this elastic limit is surpassed, continued stress will lead to permanent deformation or a fracture. Understanding tensile strength is essential for the application of sutures in the medical field, as it ensures that the material is capable of withstanding the forces it might encounter within the human body without failing.
Tension is a pulling force that acts along any flexible connector, such as tendons in the human body, which are akin to ropes in that they can only exert force in the direction parallel to their length. Knowledge of the tensile strength of sutures provides surgeons with the assurance that the sutures will maintain tissue integrity during and after surgical procedures.