Faculty Collaboration Database

Use of patellar tendon autograft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the rabbit: a long-term histologic and biomechanical study. J Orthop Res 1989;7(4):474-85

Date

01/01/1989

Pubmed ID

2738766

DOI

10.1002/jor.1100070404

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0024691806 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   187 Citations

Abstract

To assess the degree of success of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) replacement using the patellar tendon (PT) autograft, 29 New Zealand white rabbits underwent ACL reconstruction using a medial one-third PT autograft. The femur-ligament-tibia complexes were evaluated at 0, 6, 30, and 52 weeks postoperatively for gross and histologic appearances and tensile load to failure properties. Grossly, the autografts did not resemble the control ACLs. Histologically, the autografts progressed from being hypercellular with a random collagen fiber bundle organization to having a near normal cellularity with a more parallel collagen fiber bundle pattern. Anteroposterior knee laxity was more than two times that of the control knees 52 weeks after reconstruction. Biomechanically, the PT autografts plateaued at 30 weeks postoperatively. The ultimate load and stiffness were 15 +/- 5% and 24 +/- 6% of the control ACLs, respectively. At 52 weeks, the appearance of the PT autograft had some general histologic similarities as compared with the native ACL. However, these similarities did not extend to the functional properties of the autograft.

Author List

Ballock RT, Woo SL, Lyon RM, Hollis JM, Akeson WH

Author

Roger M. Lyon MD Adjunct Professor in the Orthopaedic Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Femur
Knee Joint
Ligaments, Articular
Medical Illustration
Orthopedic Equipment
Patella
Rabbits
Tendons
Tibia
Transplantation, Autologous