title: Analysis of biomechanical properties of patellar ligament graft and quadruple hamstring tendon graft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two types of transplant are commonly used in the surgical management of anterior cruciate ligament lesions: the central part of the patellar ligament and quadruple tendons of the gracilis muscle and semitendinosus muscle.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the biomechanical characteristics of patellar ligament transplants and transplants of the quadruple tendons of the hamstring muscles under tensile force in the laboratory, and to compare the results in each group of samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 160 specimens: 40 specimens of gracilis muscle tendons, 40 of semitendinosus muscle tendons, 40 of quadruple tendons and 40 of the patellar ligament, approximately equally distributed according to sex, age (50-70 years) and the side of the body from which the specimen had been taken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The working curve analysis of the specimens under tensile load of a maximum force of 30N showed the least elongation (0.31%) in the quadruple tendon, followed by the gracilis muscle tendon (1.48%) and patellar ligament tendon (3.91%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The quadruple tendon specimen showed greater strength and higher elasticity compared with the patellar ligament specimen, which proved the starting hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Osijek University Hospital, Josipa Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia. Electronic address: egon.biuk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Egon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Osijek University Hospital, Josipa Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zelić
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Osijek University Hospital, Josipa Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Saša
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rapan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ćurić
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Osijek University Hospital, Josipa Huttlera 4, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia; Department of Ophtalmology, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dubravka
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 10 E, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Radivoje
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radić
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D050376:Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Grafting; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000637:transplantation*; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D013718:Tensile Strength
keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament; Biomechanical; Patellar ligament; Quadruple tendons