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DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788290
Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of the Patellar and Semitendinosus Tendons Using Supersonic Shear-wave Imaging (SSI) Elastography and Tensile Tests
Article in several languages: português | English Financial Support The authors declare that they have not received financial support from agencies in the public, private, or non-profit sectors to conduct the present study.
Abstract
Objective To analyze the mechanical properties of the patellar (PT) and semitendinosus (ST) tendons from fresh-frozen human cadavers from a tissue bank using supersonic shear-wave imaging (SSI) elastography and tensile tests.
Methods We tested seven PT and five ST samples on a traction machine and performed their simultaneous assessment through SSI. The measurements enabled the comparison of the mechanical behavior of the tendons using the stress x strain curve and shear modulus (μ) at rest. In addition, we analyzed the stress x μ relationship under tension and tested the relationship between these parameters. The statistical analysis of the results used unpaired t-tests with Welch correction, the Pearson correlation, and linear regression for the Young modulus (E) estimation.
Results The μ values for the PT and ST at rest were of 58.86 ± 5.226 kPa and 124.3 ± 7.231 kPa respectively, and this difference was statistically significant. The correlation coefficient between stress and μ for the PT and ST was very strong. The calculated E for the PT and ST was of 19.97 kPa and 124.8 kPa respectively, with a statistically significant difference.
Conclusion The ST was stiffer than the PT in the traction tests and SSI evaluations. The μ value was directly related to the stress imposed on the tendon.
Clinical relevance The present is an evaluation of the mechanical properties of the tendons most used as grafts in knee ligament reconstruction surgeries.
Work carried out at the Traumatology and Orthopedics Service, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Publication History
Received: 20 November 2023
Accepted: 18 March 2024
Article published online:
04 September 2024
© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
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