Effects of administration of exogenous growth factors on biomechanical properties of the elongation-type anterior cruciate ligament injury with partial laceration.
BACKGROUND
No studies have been conducted to clarify the in vivo effect of growth factor application on healing in the injured anterior cruciate ligament.


OBJECTIVE
Administration of exogenous growth factors significantly increases the structural properties of the injured anterior cruciate ligament.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory study.


METHODS
Thirty-six rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups of 9 animals each after an overstretched injury was made in the right anterior cruciate ligament. In group 1, no treatment was applied around the injured anterior cruciate ligament. In group 2, 0.2 mL fibrin sealant was applied around it. In group 3, 4 ng transforming growth factor-beta1 mixed with 0.2 mL fibrin sealant was applied. In group 4, 20 microg platelet-derived growth factor-BB mixed with 0.2 mL fibrin sealant was applied. Each rabbit was sacrificed at 12 weeks after the surgery. In addition, 9 knees randomly harvested from all the left knees were used to obtain normal control data. The femur-anterior cruciate ligament-tibia complex specimens were biomechanically and histologically evaluated.


RESULTS
Concerning the maximum load and the stiffness, group 3 was significantly greater than groups 1 and 2, whereas there were no significant differences among groups 1, 2, and 4. Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were significantly lower than the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of 4 ng transforming growth factor-beta1 significantly enhances healing in the injured anterior cruciate ligament.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of certain growth factors is of value to be studied as one of the future therapeutic options for the overstretched anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Kondo
Eiji
E
Department of Sports Medicine & Joint Reconstruction Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Yasuda
Kazunori
K
Yamanaka
Masanori
M
Minami
Akio
A
Tohyama
Harukazu
H
D000818:Animals; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D000077214:Becaplermin; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000627:therapeutic use; D022125:Lacerations / Q000503:physiopathology; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012421:Rupture; D013718:Tensile Strength; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D020574:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000077214:Becaplermin