Abstract
There are various methods for reconstructing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) from other muscles or tendons. Initial tension of the reconstructed ACL is one of the key elements affecting postoperative outcomes. However, tension cannot be measured after graft fixation. The only intraoperative assessment is pull probing, which is performed by pulling joint soft tissues with the arthroscopic probe and can be measured quantitatively. Therefore, its value might be used as an alternative value for the mechanical property of the ACL. Using a probing device one author developed to measure the resistance force of soft tissues quantitatively while probing, we measured the resistance force of dissected ACLs and used tensile testing to investigate the correlation between the resistance force and the mechanical property of the ligaments. According to the results, when a certain amount of tension (strain; 16.6%) was applied, its mechanical properties were moderately correlated (r = 0.56 [p = 0.045]) with the probing force. Therefore, the tension of the reconstructed ACL after fixation under real ACL reconstruction surgery can be derived from the value of the probing device.
Highlights
Dhar and Current practice in the management of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is to perform its reconstruction using a portion of other muscles or tendons [1,2,3,4,5]
One approach for determining these mechanical properties is tensing the reconstructed ACL to confirm whether the reconstructed ligament works properly; there is no consensus on how much initial tension as a dynamic stabilizer of the knee joint must be applied
We investigated whether the resistance force of the dissected ACL
Summary
Dustin CrouchCurrent practice in the management of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is to perform its reconstruction using a portion of other muscles or tendons [1,2,3,4,5]. There are various methods of ACL reconstruction, current research aims to develop a method of recreating or functionally substituting the original ACL [1,2,3]. An obstacle is that the mechanical properties of a reconstructed ACL are unclear. One approach for determining these mechanical properties is tensing the reconstructed ACL to confirm whether the reconstructed ligament works properly; there is no consensus on how much initial tension as a dynamic stabilizer of the knee joint must be applied. The current technique for evaluating initial tension is to pull the reconstructed ligament with an arthroscopic probe [9], in a movement called “probing,” which is assessed based on the surgeon’s intrinsic sensory feedback, or perception, of the amount of tension [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
