[Alloplastic reconstruction of the ligament of the knee in chronic rotation instabilities--technics and results].

During the years from 1980 through 1985, 23 patients with chronic rotation instabilities of the knee joint underwent alloplastic reconstruction of the knee ligament system at the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Frankfurt am Main. Twenty out of these patients could be checked up after an observation period of more than four years. The examinations showed that in 90% of the patients an essentially improved ligament stability was achieved by the surgical intervention. The use of a textile strip made of polyethyleneterephtalate (Trevira hochfest type 730) affords a significantly better ligament stability than the application of autologous pedicle and free tissue grafts. This is especially true with respect to the alloplastic substitution of cruciate ligaments. Nevertheless the indication for alloplastic ligament prosthesis should still be subject to severe precautions. Actually we consider this method as indicated in patients having undergone repeated unsuccessful operations of the knee ligament in whom there is not - or no longer - enough autogenous tissue of sufficient quality. A precise implantation at the designated site as well as a stable fixation are necessary for the durable stability of the alloplastic ligament prosthesis. It is very important to observe the technique especially developed for this purpose, but the maintenance of function and stability is the decisive point. After having used textile synthetic ligaments (Trevira hochfest type 730) for about five years, our examination results suggest that the known problems of chronic rotation instability can be considerably reduced by applying this technique.