ABSTRACT
A prosthesis is defined as an artificial device to replace a missing part of the body. For the purposes of this chapter the definition of prosthesis will be limited to manmade or manaltered materials used for the repair or replacement of diseased arteries. The quest for the ideal arterial prosthesis continues. Although the currently available prostheses are functional, for many applications the results are imperfect. Nevertheless, they are of paramount importance to the field of vascular surgery and their availability has allowed the field to progress to its prominent state of technical achievement seen today.
