A PGA/PLA copolymer suture fiber having a fiber tenacity of between approximately 7.2 to 8.0 grams per denier and a fiber elongation between approximately 22% and 35% is produced by a process that utilizes extruder apparatus having at least one heated zone that is maintained at a temperature of from about 20°C below the copolymer melting point to about 5°C above the copolymer melting point, a metering pump and a heated block that are maintained at a temperature of no more than about 40°C above the copolymer melting point, a spinneret that is maintained at a temperature of from about 40°C to about 60°C above the copolymer melting point, and an elongated heated sleeve extending between six and twenty inches from the spinneret that is maintained at a temperature of at least about 60°C above the copolymer melting point.
