A comparative study of three absorbable suture materials of chromic catgut, Dexon II (a polyglycolic acid suture with a polycaprolate coating system) and Coated Vicryl (a polyglactin 910 suture with a glycolide-lactide-calcium stearate coating system) was undertaken in terms of tensile strength, breaking elongation, appearances of the suture materials in the subcutaneous layer of rats and of tissue reaction in the intramuscular layer of rats. The initial tensile strength of chromic catgut and the tensile strength after 21 days were about 1.55 kg and 0.19 kg, respectively. Those of Dexon II were about 2.01 kg and 0. 20 kg, respectively. Those of Coated Vicryl were about 2.39 kg and 0.48 kg, respectively. Coated Vicryl showed the highest tensile strength among the three materials during the whole period. On the other hand, Dexon II showed the highest breaking elongation among the three materials during the first week. But the breaking elongation of Dexon II rapidly continuously decreased during the whole period. The appearances of the suture materials in the subcutaneous layer of rats showed that chromic catgut was the fastest among the three materials, whereas it formed comparatively much connective tissue. The intramuscular absorption rate and tissue reaction of Dexon II were similar to those of Coated Vicryl. The intramuscular absorption rate of these was fairly late when compared with chromic catgut. And the tissue reaction appearance of these showed the formation of a granuloma with foreign body giant cells, macrothages and epitheloid cells by the 28th day in the experimental period.