摘要：Twenty years ago the Gore-Tex expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prosthetic ligament was used as feasible salvage procedure in patients with failed, multiply operated knees, or knees with gross instability. At the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery we operated 13 patients and replaced the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) with the Gore-Tex prosthetic ligament. Recently we had opportunity to evaluate clinical, arthroscopic, magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) and patohystologic (PH) findings in patient F. K. twenty years after the reconstruction. Due to osteoarthritic changes arthroscopic toilette of the knee was performed. On that occasion arthroscopic evaluation and biopsies for microscopic examination were carried out. MRI performed prior to arthroscopy revealed tidy continuity and volume of PCL with advanced arthritic changes of knee. MRI findings were consistent to clinical findings of good knee stability. Arthroscopy revealed the Gore-Tex prosthetic ligament completely coated with thicken synovial membrane i.e. fibrosis. Partial removal of the synovial membrane showed continuity of characteristic PTFE strands. The continuity of PCL was established by the probe. After that, few pieces of synovial membrane from sheath of PCL and from other parts of synovial membrane of the knee were taken. One PTFP strand of artificial PCL was collected as well. Patohystological findings clearly excluded inflammatory reaction in synovial membrane of the knee. Furthermore, synovial membrane of Gore-Tex prosthetic ligament sheath was found to contain mature fibrotic tissue with multinuclear giant cells and fragments of foreign polarizing material. This case report demonstrated good biocompatibility and good knee stability twenty years after replacement of the PCL with the Gore-Tex prosthetic ligament in patient with gross instability. It is interesting to mention that there was no deterioration of PTFE strands.
