title: Isolated posterior cruciate ligament insufficiency induces morphological changes of anterior cruciate ligament collagen fibrils.
abstract: We studied the ultrastructural changes of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with transmission electron micrograph cross-sections following isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. Biopsy specimens were obtained from the proximal third and anteromedial aspect of the ACL. Fourteen patients with PCL-deficient knees at a mean of 22.1 months from injury to surgery and 5 normal knees amputated secondary to malignant tumors or traumatic injuries were used as controls. A significant difference was found in the number of collagen fibrils per 1 microm2 between the PCL-deficient knee group and the control group. There was a significant difference found in the collagen fibril diameter between the PCL-deficient knee group and the control group. The collagen packing density (the percentage of sampled area occupied by collagen fibrils) was also significantly different between the PCL-deficient knee and the control group. The current study shows that an isolated PCL insufficiency can induce morphological changes in ACL collagen fibrils, suggesting that a PCL insufficiency can have adverse effects on other ligamentous structures in the knee joint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sumen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adachi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D001706:Biopsy; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016119:Posterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000293:injuries*
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen