There are many advantages in using artificial ligaments, including;

• Tissue does not have to be removed from the patient for use as a graft (autograft) – problems sometimes occur at the graft site and these are avoided by using a synthetic ligament.
• The patient does not have to receive tissue from another person (allograft) to repair their injury – donor tissue is sometimes rejected.
• Artificial ligaments come in different shapes and sizes and can therefore be matched to the size and requirements of the patient.
• Artificial ligaments can provide a quicker return to normal, or even sporting activities.

Synthetic ligaments have been used in the past, but some designs have stretched or broken after some years.  Other designs of artificial ligaments caused inflammation in the knee and had to be removed.

These design problems have been overcome in the latest generation of artificial ligaments.