title: The effects of vascularity and cyclosporin A on the mechanical properties of canine fibular autografts.
abstract: We studied the biomechanical behavior of orthotopic canine autografts as influenced by vascularized supply and the administration of cyclosporin A at three months and six months post-surgery. The model was the proximal 8 cm of the fibula in young adult dogs. In vascularized grafts, blood supply was re-established by microvascular re-anastomosis. Experimental controls were sham-operated and unoperated bones. Mid-graft test sections were subjected to loading-to-failure in torsion to determine the strength and stiffness. In both three- and six-month groups, vascularized grafts were significantly stronger and stiffer than contralateral nonvascularized grafts. Vascularized grafts were not significantly different from sham-operated bones. A 30-day regimen of cyclosporin A was found to have no measurable effect on mechanical properties for any individual treatment group. The results indicate that re-established blood supply can be a major factor in maintaining the mechanical integrity in large-segment cortical autografts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bensusan
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Davy
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D004548:Elasticity; D005360:Fibula / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods*; D016909:Tibial Arteries / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine