Prosthetic Replacement of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament Under Arthroscopic Guidance: A Pilot Project

A prosthetic replacement for the cranial cruciate ligament was successfully implanted under arthroscopic guidance in four canine cadavers and seven normal dogs. Several strands of size 2 braided polyester were implanted in the cadavers and one normal dog, and a copolymer coated tow of 10,000 carbon fibers was implanted in six normal dogs. The average time required to surgically implant the carbon fiber prosthetic ligaments was 60 minutes. All of the dogs had slight to no drawer sign postoperatively. Five of the dogs were bearing more weight 3 weeks postoperatively than after transection of the cranial cruciate ligament. The surgical technique for implantation was successful for elimination of the cranial drawer sign, but carbon fibers were broken prematurely and instability reoccurred.