PDO Thread
Pronunciation: PEE-dee-oh
Also written as: PDO — Polydioxanone
A polydioxanone suture used in thread lift procedures; an absorbable monofilament or barbed thread that degrades over several months and stimulates collagen production.
Full Definition
PDO (polydioxanone) threads are synthetic absorbable sutures originally developed for cardiac surgery and now widely adopted in aesthetic medicine for facial lifting and skin tightening. They are placed subdermally using a blunt-tipped needle or cannula and may be smooth (for biostimulation) or barbed (for mechanical lifting). Editors should note that 'PDO' is always written as a three-letter capitalised acronym; the full form 'polydioxanone' is lower case except at sentence start. It is distinct from PCL (polycaprolactone) and PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid) threads, which have different degradation timelines. The common writer error is using 'PDO' as a generic synonym for all thread types.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalise as 'PDO'; expand to 'polydioxanone' on first use in formal documents. Do not use as a synonym for all absorbable thread types.
In Context
- "The article referred to 'PDO threads' generically, but the editor queried whether PCL threads—with their longer absorption time—were actually intended." — Aesthetic medicine journal manuscript
- "PDO threads degrade within six to eight months post-insertion, after which their lifting effect is maintained by neocollagenesis." — Clinical treatment guideline