Abstract des Autors

We analyzed mechanical tensile properties of 16 10-mm wide, full-thickness central parts of quadriceps tendons and patellar ligaments from paired knees of eight male donors (mean age, 24.9 years). Uniaxial tensile testing was performed in a servohydraulic materials testing machine at an extension rate of 1 mm/sec. Sixteen specimens were tested unconditioned and 16 specimens were tested after cyclic preconditioning (200 cycles between 50 N and 800 N at 0.5 Hz). Mean cross-sectional areas measured 64.6+/-8.4 mm**2 for seven unconditioned and 61.9+/-9.0 mm**2 for eight preconditioned quadriceps tendons and were significantly larger than those values of seven unconditioned and seven preconditioned patellar ligaments (36.8+/-5.7 mm**2 and 34.5+/-4.4 mm**2, respectively). Mean ultimate tensile stress values of unconditioned patellar ligaments were significantly larger than those values of unconditioned quadriceps tendons: 53.4+/-7.2 N/mm**2 and 33.6+/-8.1 N/mm**2, respectively. Strain at failure was 14.4%+/-3.3% for preconditioned patellar ligaments and 11.2%+/-2.2% for preconditioned quadriceps tendons (P=0.0428). Preconditioned patellar ligaments exhibited significantly higher elastic modulus than preconditioned quadriceps tendons. Based on mechanical tensile properties analyses, the quadriceps tendon-bone construct may represent a versatile alternative graft in primary and revision anterior and posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Verf.-Referat