No effect of mop-ending on ligament healing. Rabbit studies of severed collateral knee ligaments.
We have tested the hypothesis that increasing the surface area of cut ligament ends by the creation of "mop-ends" may alter the mechanical properties of healing medial collateral ligaments. In one group of New Zealand white rabbits, a 4-mm midsubstance segment was removed from the right ligament creating a gap (sharp cut-end healing group). In the other group, a similar gap was created but, in addition, cut ligament ends were split longitudinally across the width of the ligament creating "mop-ends", roughly tripling the total injury surface area. In all animals, the contralateral (left) leg was not operated on and served as an internal control. At least 8 animals from each injury model were killed at 3, 6, 14, and 40 weeks post-operatively. Both histological and mechanical tests showed that sharp-cut and mop-end injuries healed at similar rates with similar material.
Chimich
D
D
Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Frank
C
C
Shrive
N
N
Bray
R
R
King
G
G
McDonald
D
D
D000818:Animals; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017888:Medial Collateral Ligament, Knee / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D011817:Rabbits; D014945:Wound Healing