Replacing Damaged Ligaments with Artificial Tissues

Replacing Damaged Ligaments with Artificial Tissues

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QUESTION: A serious sports injury of my knee now demands that I consider
surgery. The surgeon is suggesting replacing some damaged ligaments with
artificial tissues. Shades of the Bionic Man! What can you tell me?
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ANSWER: There are a variety of methods available to reconstruct a damaged
knee: Stents are temporary internal splints providing stability while the
knee regains strength; degradable scaffolds allow the fibers of the knee's
ligament to grow and merge into the synthetic tissue as the joint heals; and
ligament augmentation devices provide immediate protection and stability while
the recovering ligament regains its strength.
These implants are made from various materials. Carbon fiber implants
have been tried in a variety of weaves, but have been subject to problems; its
brittle fibers may fragment or break, while it may have less capacity to
absorb fibrous ingrowth than other techniques. Doctors have also used a
ligament augmentation device, a 6 mm thick plastic braid that attaches to
structures in the leg. A composite of two synthetic substances, Dacron and
Dexon, has also been used, as well as materials made of Dacron alone, Gore-Tex
and Xenotech ligament. This last material consists of tendons from cattle,
treated to be nonallergic and more flexible. None of these implants has
solved the problem of shielding the recuperating knee from sudden stresses,
which can lead to re-injury of the damaged joint. While an implant
occasionally works its way loose, rejection by the host body has not been a
major problem. Your best answer would come from your surgeon. Ask him about
his plan, and the benefits or risks of the surgery, and the material he
proposes to use.