Completely stitched up

'This is a scanning electron micrograph of surgical thread used to stitch a head wound. The surgical thread was removed from the human patient after seven days, and debris from the skin and the area surrounding the wound can be seen still attached to the thread after removal. What this image shows in great detail is the skill required by healthcare professionals in being able to accurately tie such an intricate knot with a piece of thread less than 0.25mm in diameter, in what is a "routine procedure". Brightness and contrast of background altered and image cropped to remove imaging status bar.'

Anne Weston

The image was captured using an FEI Quanta scanning electron microscope.