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About LARS Ligaments

LARS is a range of synthetic Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction devices, for use in a wide variety of applications from PCL and ACL reconstruction to ankle and shoulder repairs. Designed to mimic the normal anatomic ligament fibres, the intra-articular longitudinal fibres resist fatigue and allow fibroblastic ingrowth. The extra-articular woven fibres provide strength and resistance to elongation.

Clinically proven applications for LARS include:

Construction

The construction of the LARS ligament is the result of many years of detailed research into finding a suitable material for this application and the best way to apply the material to produce the various ligaments available.

The material used is polyethylene terephthalate - an industrial-strength polyester fibre which has the ideal characteristics for ligament replacement applications. Each type of LARS ligament contains a specific number and length of fibres, depending on the intended use, and varying leaders to facilitate passage through the bony tunnels.

The intra-articular portion of the LARS ligament is made of longitudinal fibres without transverse or crossing components. The fibres are oriented to the ligament they are made for, to mimic the anatomic fibres. This patented structure allows a high resistance to fatigue, especially in flexion, as well as providing a porosity favouring fibroblastic ingrowth which then isolates the synthetic fibres. In the extra-articular portion the same parallel fibres are kept united by a process of warp knitting. This knitting process minimises secondary elongation (as opposed to braided or woven fibres).

Resistance to traction varies with the number of longitudinal fibres - approximately 1,500N for 30 fibres, 2,500N for 60 fibres, 3,600N for 80 fibres, and 4,700N for 100 fibres.