Fatigue-driven compliance increase and collagen unravelling in mechanically tested anterior cruciate ligament.

ABSTRACT: Approximately 300,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears occur annually in the United States, half of which lead to the onset of knee osteoarthritis within 10 years of injury. Repetitive loading is known to result in fatigue damage of both ligament and tendon in the form of collagen unravelling, which can lead to structural failure. However, the relationship between tissue's structural, compositional, and mechanical changes are poorly understood. Herein we show that repetitive submaximal loading of cadaver knees causes an increase in co-localised induction of collagen unravelling and tissue compliance, especially in regions of greater mineralisation at the ACL femoral enthesis. Upon 100 cycles of 4× bodyweight knee loading, the ACL exhibited greater unravelled collagen in highly minera

SUBMITTER: Putera KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10219950 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature