Cerclage device

A device as defined in claim 7 wherein the fabric further comprises:

• said front panel being knitted from a first yarn and a second yarn knitted in a two bar fully threaded pattern in which the underlaps of each yarn cross over a plurality of wales;
• said back panel including third, fourth and fifth yarns, said third yarns extending along each wale, said third yarns being laid in except for cast stitches formed at predetermined coursewise intervals along the length of the fabric, said stitches being arranged in groups extending transversely along a coursewise line;
• said fourth and fifth yarns being laid in in a walewise direction except in the region of said rows of stitches formed by said third yarns, said fourth and fifth yarns being laid in coursewise at the region of said rows of stitches of said third yarns, said fourth and fifth yarns being trapped between the underlap and overlap of the stitches formed by said third yarns;
• said coursewise rows of stitches each defining a transversely extending rib, said coursewise laid in portions of said fourth and fifth yarns providing additional support for and reinforcing said ribs;
• and
• a sixth yarn forming a chain stitch at each course and on each wale of each of said front and back panels, the underlaps of each of said chain stitches running front panel to back panel to knit said front and back panels together in an integral fabric.