Proplast leader for use in cruciate ligament reconstruction.

A synthetic leader has been used in 18 cases of medial one-third patellar tendon substitution for the anterior cruciate ligament and in 10 cases of posterior cruciate substitution using the medial head of the gastrocnemius tendon. The device adds length and facilitates manipulation of the transplanted tissues. There have been no problems with biocompatibility and there have been no instances of staple loosening or disruption of the junction between the stabilizer and transplanted tissues. Early results with the anterior cruciate substitutions suggest thet anchoring the transfer in bony tunnels in both the tibia and femur does not allow sufficient flexibility to prevent stretching or disruption of the tendon transfer.