The Use of Carbon Fiber Implants in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery

In cruciate ligament surgery where carbon fibers have been placed within the synovial cavity of the knee joint, an inadequate biologic response occurs that leads to failure of the implant and fragmentation within the joint. This paper describes in detail the operative technique of one surgeon (A.E.S.) of placing a collagen-coated carbon fiber implant through the retrosynovial route of the anterior cruciate ligament. It also describes the clinical and arthroscopic follow-up evaluations of four consecutive cases by an independent surgeon (P.F.). The results confirm the contention that when the carbon fibers are placed either within the remnants of the original ligament or within a sheath of fascia lata and maintained in the retrosynovial situation, no carbon debris appears within the joint cavity, and a normal-looking cruciate ligament results.