Summary
Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is a common injury in dogs, for which a variety
of surgical techniques have been described. A commonly performed surgical technique
is extracapsular stabilization with a lateral fabella-tibial suture (LFS) using large
diameter nylon leader line (NLL). Inherent properties of NLL such as memory, low coefficient
of friction, and large diameter may compromise knot security. Fluorocarbon (polyvinylidene
fluoride; PVDF) has been investigated as a biomaterial for a variety of implants and
is available as a high tensile strength fluorocarbon leader line (FCL). For a given
tensile strength FCL is one-half the diameter of NLL. This study evaluated the force
at failure, elongation, and stiffness of FCL compared to NLL for use as a LFS. The
effects of steam and ethylene oxide sterilization on FCL were also evaluated. The
results of this study demonstrate similar force at failure and stiffness for FCL when
compared to NLL. In addition, the use of FCL may eliminate the elongation under low
load observed with NLL. The mechanical properties of FCL loops were not affected by
ethylene oxide sterilization. In contrast, steam sterilization caused significant
detrimental effects on the mechanical properties of FCL and is not recommended. The
reduced diameter and pliable feel of FCL allow for superior handling, formation of
a less bulky and potentially more secure knot, and less foreign material in the region
of implantation. FCL appears to be a suitable alternative material to NLL for a lateral
fabella-tibial suture.
Keywords
Fluorocarbon - PVDF - Cranial cruciate ligament