Synthetic ligaments. Current status

Many techniques for ligamentous reconstruction have been developed in recent years. In the United States, injuries of the knee have been increasingly treated with innovative methods of surgical reconstruction, most of which have used normal structures. There are obvious theoretic advantages in using synthetic materials that might simplify surgery, spare normal tissues, and possibly facilitate stronger repairs. To these ends, several synthetic substances have been used experimentally and clinically. This is a brief summary of eight of the materials that have been or are being investigated in the United States. Some are no longer in use, others are currently being used in clinical trials. As of this writing, only the Gortex ligament has received a general device release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).