The effects of tibial-femoral angle on the failure mechanics of the canine anterior cruciate ligament.
A series of canine femur-ACL-tibia complexes were subjected to tensile tests with axial tibial orientation and 0 degree, 45 degrees or 90 degrees femoral orientation with respect to load direction. A deflection rate of 51.0 cm min-1 was used in all tests. Marked differences occurred in ultimate loads, deflection and energy absorbed as a consequence of differences in femoral-tibial orientation. The mode of structural failure, as determined by post-test examination, also varied markedly as a function of femoral-tibial orientation. It is concluded that differences both in measured mechanical properties and observed failure details are a consequence of varying the loading pattern of the fiber bundles across the finite breadth of the ligament.
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005269:Femur / Q000502:physiology*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013977:Tibia / Q000502:physiology*