The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the major articular ligamentous
structure of the knee, it functions as a joint stabilizer. When ruptured,
the natural ACL ligament can be replaced by a textile synthetic ligament
such as a braid, knitted cord, or woven cord. Theses structures are composed
of biocompatible materials such as polyester or Gore-Tex filaments. The
success of an ACL replacement is widely linked to its mechanical and
dimensional properties such as tensile strength, dimensional stability and
resistance to abrasion. We introduced an additional treatment in the
manufacturing of textile ACL ligaments based on the thermofixation of the
textile structure by using textile industry stabilization techniques.
Boiling water, saturated vapor and dry heat have been tested to stabilize a
braided ligament made of Dacron polyester. The application of these three
techniques led to shrinkage and an increase of breaking strength of the
textile structure.