High Combined Material Strength of Prostheses for Optimal Strength of Initial Surgical Repair

In addition to restoring natural, authentic, and evolved stifle biomechanics and duplicating natural stifle joint load distribution, another fundamental difference between NAHAH’s MFLS surgical services and other extracapsular surgical procedures is the markedly stronger nature of the surgical repair. A strong and stable surgical repair that has a high durability with use is crucial in the initial stages following surgery. Disruption of the surgical repair in the early stages following surgery before the natural immune-mediated fortification process has had the chance to form a biosynthetic union that bolsters and reinforces the structural integrity of the repair would be a catastrophic failure.

For this reason, the materials used in combination to comprise the implanted prostheses must have sufficient material strength to share – and together carry – the load on the stifle joint during the early stages of recovery. Material strength or strength of material (SOM) is the ability of a material to resist deformation. The strength of a component is usually considered based on the maximum load that can be borne before failure is apparent. The factor of safety (FOS) is a measure of how much extra strength a structure or material has over and above what is needed to carry the applied load. A higher FOS means that the structure is more likely to be able to withstand unexpected loads or damage.

NAHAH’s MFLS surgical services provide for immediate strength and durability of the surgical repair by utilizing materials comprising the implanted primary prostheses that have sufficient combined strength of material (SOM) as well as a sufficient factor of safety (FOS). The combined material strength of the multiple nylon prosthetic filaments comprising each of the two primary prostheses is many times the load (weight and force) coming to bear on the stifle joint. The combined material strength typically ranges from six to eight times the load coming to bear on the stifle joint, allowing for a high and sufficient strength reserve factor.

For NAHAH’s MFLS surgical services, the calculation of the combined material strength of the nylon prosthetic filaments necessary to comprise the two prostheses is based on the load – the weight and force – coming to bear on a given patient’s stifle joint. So in addition to the patient’s body weight, the patient’s muscle mass (force) is also factored into determining the anticipated combined material strength necessary for providing sufficient strength and structural integrity of the surgical repair for a given and unique patient. Typically, for patients having substantially greater muscle mass (such as Pitbulls and Pitbull-cross breeds) the calculated total combined material strength of the prostheses should be increased by twenty to forty percent.

The material strength and durability of the implanted prostheses are critical in the immediate post-operative recovery period and are essential for carrying the load coming to bear on the stifle joint in the weeks and early months following surgery. Disruption of the surgical repair during the early stages of healing and recovery from surgery before the natural immune-mediated fortification process has had the chance to form a biosynthetic union and to bolster and reinforce the structural integrity of the repair would constitute a catastrophic failure. NAHAH’s MFLS surgical services utilize prosthetic filament materials that have sufficient calculated combined material strength and have a sufficient factor of safety so that from day one the material strength and structural integrity of the repair are many times as strong as it needs to be to carry the load on the stifle joint.