Tendon allografts are commonly used to replace damaged anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL). Some of the sterilization and preservation techniques used by tissue banks with tendon allografts are thought to impair the mechanical properties of graft tissues. The tensile mechanical properties of porcine toe extensor tendons were measured using a dynamic testing machine following either freezing, freeze-drying, freezing then irradiation at 25 kGy (2.5 MRad), freeze-drying then irradiation, or freeze-drying then ethylene oxide gas sterilization. There was a small but significant difference in Young’s modulus between the frozen group (0.88 GPa ± 0.09 SD) and both the fresh group (0.98 GPa ± 0.12 SD) and the frozen irradiated group (0.97 GPa ± 0.08 SD). No values of Young’s modulus were obtained for the freeze-dried irradiated tendons. The ultimate tensile stress (UTS) of the freeze-dried irradiated group (4.7 MPa ± 4.8 SD) was significantly different from both the fresh and the frozen irradiated groups, being reduced by approximately 90 percent. There were no significant changes in UTS or Young’s modulus between any of the other groups. If irradiation is to be used to sterilize a tendon replacement for an ACL it must take place after freeze-drying to maintain mechanical properties.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 1996
Technical Papers
Mechanical Properties of Tendons: Changes With Sterilization and Preservation
C. W. Smith,
C. W. Smith
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
I. S. Young,
I. S. Young
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
J. N. Kearney
J. N. Kearney
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
Search for other works by this author on:
C. W. Smith
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
I. S. Young
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
J. N. Kearney
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. Yorkshire Regional Tissue Bank, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, W. Yorks, WF1 4DG, U.K.
J Biomech Eng. Feb 1996, 118(1): 56-61 (6 pages)
Published Online: February 1, 1996
Article history
Received:
August 27, 1993
Revised:
January 4, 1995
Online:
October 30, 2007
Citation
Smith, C. W., Young, I. S., and Kearney, J. N. (February 1, 1996). "Mechanical Properties of Tendons: Changes With Sterilization and Preservation." ASME. J Biomech Eng. February 1996; 118(1): 56–61. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2795946
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Effect of Internal Mechanical Environment of Porous Scaffolds on Mechano-driven Bone Ingrowth: A Numerical Study
J Biomech Eng (September 2023)
In Silico Mechanical Effort Analysis of the All-On-4 Design Performed With Platform-Switching Distal Short Dental Implants
J Biomech Eng (September 2023)
Related Articles
Effects of Static Stress on the Mechanical Properties of Cultured Collagen Fascicles From the Rabbit Patellar Tendon
J Biomech Eng (February,2002)
Effects of Cyclic Stress on the Mechanical Properties of Cultured Collagen Fascicles from the Rabbit Patellar Tendon
J Biomech Eng (December,2003)
Effects of the Frequency and Duration of Cyclic Stress on the Mechanical Properties of Cultured Collagen Fascicles From the Rabbit Patellar Tendon
J Biomech Eng (December,2005)
Ageing Changes in the Tensile Properties of Tendons: Influence of Collagen Fibril Volume Fraction
J Biomech Eng (April,2008)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Introduction and Definitions
Handbook on Stiffness & Damping in Mechanical Design
A New Model for Rockburst Prediction Based on Gaussian Process
Geological Engineering: Proceedings of the 1 st International Conference (ICGE 2007)
Introduction
Ultrasonic Methods for Measurement of Small Motion and Deformation of Biological Tissues for Assessment of Viscoelasticity