Long-term study of the biochemistry and biomechanics of anterior cruciate ligament-patellar tendon autografts in goats

✍ Scribed by Gabriel Y. F. Ng; Barry W. Oakes; Owen W. Deacon; Iain D. McLean; David R. Eyre

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 630 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0736-0266
• DOI: 10.1002/jor.1100140602

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This study examined the change in type‐III collagen concentration and hydroxypyridinium crosslink density of anterior cruciate ligament‐patellar tendon autografts and their correlations with Young's modulus of the anterior cruciate autografts and anterior cruciate controls for as long as 3 years after surgery. Fifteen adult female goats (two control and 13 experimental) were tested. Each experimental animal received an anterior cruciate ligament‐patellar tendon autograft to the right knee. These animals were tested at 0 (n = 2), 6 (n = 2), 12 (n = 2), and 24 (n = 1) weeks and 1 (n = 3) and 3 (n = 3) years after surgery. After mechanical testing, the anterior cruciate autograft and control tissues were analysed for type‐III collagen concentration and hydroxypyridinium crosslink density. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis showed a trend of initial increase in the percentage of type‐III collagen in the anterior cruciate ligament autografts and a subsequent decrease after 24 weeks following surgery. There was a nonsignificant (p > 0.05) negative correlation between type‐III collagen concentration and Young's modulus. The hydroxypyridinium crosslink density was highest at 1 year after surgery. There was a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation between hydroxypyridinium crosslink density and Young's modulus in the anterior cruciate autografts and controls. This suggests that hydroxypyridinium crosslink density has a good linear relationship with the material strength of the anterior cruciate ligament autograft and hence could be used as an objective guide for rehabilitation with anterior cruciate autografts.