Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2010 May;25(4):325-31.
doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2009.12.007. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

A comparison of the quasi-static mechanical and non-linear viscoelastic properties of the human semitendinosus and gracilis tendons

Steven D Abramowitch  1 , Xiaoyan Zhang, Molly Curran, Robert Kilger
Affiliations
Comparative Study

A comparison of the quasi-static mechanical and non-linear viscoelastic properties of the human semitendinosus and gracilis tendons

Steven D Abramowitch et al. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2010 May.

Abstract

Background: Over 50-% of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions are performed using semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autografts. Despite their increased use, there remains little quantitative data on their mechanical behavior. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the quasi-static mechanical and non-linear viscoelastic properties of human semitendinosus and gracilis tendons, as well as the variation of these properties along their length.

Methods: Specimens were subjected to a series of uniaxial tensile tests: 1-h static stress-relaxation test, 30 cycle cyclic stress-relaxation test and load to failure test. To describe the non-linear viscoelastic behavior, the quasi-linear viscoelastic theory was utilized to model data from the static stress-relaxation experiment.

Findings: The constants describing the viscoelastic behavior were similar between the proximal and distal halves of the gracilis tendon. The proximal half of the semitendinosus tendon, however, had a greater viscous response than its distal half, which was also significantly higher than the proximal gracilis tendon. In terms of the quasi-static mechanical properties, the properties were similar between the proximal and distal halves of the semitendinosus tendon. However, the distal gracilis tendon showed a significantly higher tangent modulus and ultimate stress compared to its proximal half, which was also significantly higher than the distal semitendinosus tendon.

Interpretation: The results of this study demonstrate differences between the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons in terms of their quasi-static mechanical and non-linear viscoelastic properties. These results are important for establishing surgical preconditioning protocols and graft selection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A diagram defining the location of the proximal and distal halves of ST and G tendons at dissection. (The major unit of the scale is cm)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Typical curve-fits of the experimental data with the QLV theory for the ST proximal tendon (*), ST distal tendon (■), G proximal tendon (▲), G distal tendon (◆). The discrete symbols of ◆, ▲, ■, *, represent the experimental data and the solid line is the curve-fit to these data.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Representative stress-strain curves resulting from load-to-failure tests of the proximal and distal halves of the ST and G tendons.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abramowitch SD, Woo SL. An improved method to analyze the stress relaxation of ligaments following a finite ramp time based on the quasi-linear viscoelastic theory. J Biomech Eng. 2004;126:92–97. - PubMed
    1. Aglietti P, Buzzi R, D'andria S, Zaccherotti G. Patellofemoral problems after intraarticular anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1993:195–204. - PubMed
    1. Arruda EM, Calve S, Dennis RG, Mundy K, Baar K. Regional variation of tibialis anterior tendon mechanics is lost following denervation. J Appl Physiol. 2006;101:1113–1117. - PubMed
    1. Beaty J. Knee and leg: soft tissue trauma. In: Arendt EA, editor. OKU orthopaedic knowledge update. 1st ed. xix. Rosemont, IL: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 1999. p. 442.
    1. Boylan D, Greis PE, West JR, Bachus KN, Burks RT. Effects of initial graft tension on knee stability after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstring tendons: a cadaver study. Arthroscopy. 2003;19:700–705. - PubMed

Publication types