The state of tissue hydration determines the strain-rate-sensitive stiffness of human patellar tendon

Haut, Tammy L.<sup>1</sup>; Haut, Roger C.<sup>2</sup>

Affiliations

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

²Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.

Abstract and keywords

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tissue hydration on the structural properties of human patellar tendon. Specimens were subjected to a load relaxation experiment prior to being stretched to failure. The experiments indicated that tendons relaxed faster in hypotonic solutions when compared to hypertonic solutions. At a strain rate of 50% s⁻¹ the structural stiffness was significantly higher while immersed in a hypotonic versus hypertonic solution. No difference in tensile stiffness was documented between baths for 0.5% s⁻¹. Tendons immersed in the hypotonic solution were significantly stiffer for 50% s⁻¹. The results indicate that the structural properties of human patellar tendon are more sensitive to time when the tissues are fully hydrated.

Keywords: Patellar tendon; Water content; Viscoelasticity; Allografts; Autografts

Links

DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9290(96)00108-X

PubMed: 8970928

WoS: A1997VY60300011

History

Received: 1996-06-27

Cited Works (5)

Year	Entry
1981	Grodzinsky AJ, Roth V, Myers E, Grossman WD, Mow VC. The significance of electromechanical and osmotic forces in the nonequilibrium swelling behavior of articular cartilage in tension. J Biomech Eng. November 1981;103(4):221-231.
1994	Ateshian GA, Lai WM, Zhu WB, Mow VC. An asymptotic solution for the contact of two biphasic cartilage layers. J Biomech. November 1994;27(11):1347-1360.
1992	Chimich D, Shrive N, Frank C, Marchuk L, Bray R. Water content alters viscoelastic behaviour of the normal adolescent rabbit medial collateral ligament. J Biomech. August 1992;25(8):831-837.
1994	Blevins FT, Hecker AT, Bigler GT, Boland AL, Hayes WC. The effects of donor age and strain rate on the biomechanical properties of bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts. Am J Sports Med. 1994;22(3):328-333.
1990	Haut RC, Powlison AC. The effects of test environment and cyclic stretching on the failure properties of human patellar tendons. J Orthop Res. July 1990;8(4):532-540.

Cited By (25)

Year	Entry
2010	Shen ZL, Dodge MR, Kahn H, Ballarini R, Eppell SJ. In vitro fracture testing of submicron diameter collagen fibril specimens. Biophys J. September 2010;99(6):1986-1995.
2001	Weiss JA, Gardiner JC. Computational modeling of ligament mechanics. Crit Rev Biomed Eng. 2001;29(3):303-371.
2003	Lynch HA, Johannessen W, Wu JP, Jawa A, Elliott DM. Effect of fiber orientation and strain rate on the nonlinear uniaxial tensile material properties of tendon. J Biomech Eng. October 2003;125(5):726-731.
2001	Thornton GM, Shrive NG, Frank CB. Altering ligament water content affects ligament pre-stress and creep behaviour. J Orthop Res. September 2001;19(5):845-851.
2023	Lake SP, Snedeker JG, Wang VM, Awad H, Screen HRC, Thomopoulos S. Guidelines for ex vivo mechanical testing of tendon. J Orthop Res. October 2023;41(10):2105-2113.
1999	Pioletti DP, Rakotomanana LR, Leyvraz P-F. Strain rate effect on the mechanical behavior of the anterior cruciate ligament–bone complex. Med Eng Phys. March 1999;21(2):95-100.
2010	Shen ZL. Tensile Mechanical Properties of Isolated Collagen Fibrils Obtained by Microelectromechanical Systems Technology [PhD thesis]. Cleveland, OH: Case Western Reserve University; August 2010.
2021	Golman M. Toughening Mechanisms for the Attachment of Architectured Materials: The Mechanics of the Tendon Enthesis [PhD thesis]. Columbia University; 2021.
2005	de Abreu ELM. The Effect of Mechanical Unloading on Cultured Tendon Fascicles [PhD thesis]. Cleveland State University; March 2005.
2007	Willett TL. Molecular-Level Changes in Collagen Due to in Vitro Tensile Overload in a Tendon Model [PhD thesis]. Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University; October 2007.
2005	DeFrate LE. The Biomechanics of the Knee Following Injury and Reconstruction of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; June 2005.
1998	Atkinson TS. Experimental and Analytical Development of a Poroelastic Finite Element Model for Tendon [PhD thesis]. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University; 1998.
2007	Lavagnino M. The Mechanotransduction Response of Tendon Cells to Tensile Loading [PhD thesis]. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University; 2007.
2011	Villegas-Bermudez DF. Biomechanics of Meniscal Horn Attachments [PhD thesis]. Houghton, MI: Michigan Technological University; 2011.
2000	Kotha SP. A Micromechanical Model to Explain the Mechanical Properties of Bovine Cortical Bone in Tension: In Vitro Fluoride Ion Effects [PhD thesis]. Rutgers University; January 2000.
1999	Young D. Quantification of Patellar Tendon Biomechanical Properties: In Vitro and in Situ [Master's thesis]. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary; January 1999.
2008	Küpper J. A Novel Measure of in-Vivo Knee Joint Laxity [Master's thesis]. Calgary, AB: University of Calgary; January 2008.
2011	Main EK. Constitutive Mechanical Properties of Carpal Tunnel Soft Tissue Structures [Master's thesis]. University of Iowa; May 2011.
2011	Spiegler JC. Fracture Testing and Simultaneous Confocal Microscopy of Bovine Arterial Tissue [Master's thesis]. Baltimore County, University of Maryland; 2011.
2011	Hwang D. Effects of Degeneration and Load History on Nucleus Pulposus Behavior [PhD thesis]. University of Maryland; 2011.
1998	Derwin KA. A Quantitative Investigation of Structure-Function Relationships in a Tendon Fascicle Model [PhD thesis]. University of Michigan; 1998.
2011	Weber JF. Mechanical Property Quantification of Tendons Using Improved Methodologies [Master's thesis]. University of Guelph; February 2011.
2011	Dourte LM. Relationships Between Decorin and Biglycan, Structure and Tendon Mechanics Using Mutant Mouse Models [PhD thesis]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania; 2011.
2023	Carroll GA. Experimental Characterization and Finite Element Modelling of Cervical Facet Joint Mechanics [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2023.
2002	Mkandawire C. The Relationship Between Viscoelastic Relaxation and Ligament Morphometry [PhD thesis]. Seattle, WA: University of Washington; 2002.