Suture having a core and a braided mantle including strands running parallel to the axis of the suture

A suture has a core 104 and a braided, knitted or woven sheath 100 with strands of yarn 102 parallel to the suture axis. The core is formed from multiple strands 106 extending longitudinally. The sheath may be braided from yarn filaments 102, 103 running obliquely to the axis of the suture. The braided strands and the axial strands may be of different deniers or cross-sectional areas and may be different colours so that sutures of different properties can be distinguished by their colour or by a repeating pattern. Preferably the axial strands interweave the braided strands and may be distributed inhomogeneously (figure 5). Multiple strands may be superimposed in the sheath to create a ridged surface that encourages tissue ingrowth.