Femoropopliteal reconstruction with knitted, nonvelour dacron versus expanded polytetrafluoroethylene

No ideal prosthetic conduit exists for femoropopliteal reconstruction. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has gained much greater popularity than the less expensive Dacron, despite disappointing long-term patency for each material. Few direct comparisons of results with the two materials have been performed. The concurrent experience of a single surgeon with femoropopliteal reconstructions of PTFE (n = 85) or knitted, nonvelour Dacron (KNVD, n = 38) was reviewed. Risk factors were comparable in the two groups. Overall patency was significantly better for KNVD than for PTFE (p = 0.0096 by log rank; p = 0.039 by Cox proportional hazards; 48% vs 27% at 5 years). Since in this series the overall performance of KNVD was significantly better than PTFE, a reassessment of the prosthetic materials used in femoropopliteal reconstruction is necessary. These results justify a prospective comparison of PTFE and KNVD.