Abstract
The mechanical response of a tendon to load is strictly related to its complex and highly organized hierarchical structure, which ranges from the nano- to macroscale. In a broader context, the mechanical properties of tendons during tensile tests are affected by several distinct factors, due in part to tendon nature (anatomical site, age, training, injury, etc.) but also depending on the experimental setup and settings. This work aimed to present a systematic review of the mechanical properties of tendons reported in the scientific literature by considering different anatomical regions in humans and several animal species (horse, cow, swine, sheep, rabbit, dog, rat, mouse, and foal). This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. The literature research was conducted via Google Scholar, PubMed, PicoPolito (Politecnico di Torino’s online catalogue), and Science Direct. Sixty studies were selected and analyzed. The structural and mechanical properties described in different animal species were reported and summarized in tables. Only the results from studies reporting the strain rate parameter were considered for the comparison with human tendons, as they were deemed more reliable. Our findings showed similarities between animal and human tendons that should be considered in biomechanical evaluation. An additional analysis of the effects of different strain rates showed the influence of this parameter.
Highlights
Tendon and ligament injuries are significant issues in medicine and biomedical engineering, and remain an open problem
In the case of the mechanical properties evaluated in %/s, human tendons belonging to different anatomical sites showed different mechanical properties with respect to the same tests executed in mm/s, as described in the previous section
There was no clear influence of strain rate on the results
Summary
Tendon and ligament injuries are significant issues in medicine and biomedical engineering, and remain an open problem. The most commonly observed lesions in humans localize to the rotator cuff, quadriceps, patellar, and Achilles tendons, as well as to knee collateral ligaments. In this vast research field, the Laboratory of Bio-inspired Nanomechanics at Politecnico di Torino studies the mechanical characterization of tendons and ligaments and their relative repair methods as its main research topics, evaluating innovative repair techniques. The work presented here is intended to highlight the most suitable animal subrogate model for testing traditional repair techniques (such as sutures) according to the human tendon destination, avoiding the use of human tissues and their related availability issues. Animal models are preferred in preclinical studies for two main types of research purposes: (i) the evaluation of tissue healing through different strategies (for example after growth factor and stem cell injection) and (ii) suture pattern validation
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