title: Pitfalls during biomechanical testing - Evaluation of different fixation methods for measuring tendons endurance properties.
abstract: The goal of the study was to find a proper technique to fix tendon grafts into an INSTRON loading machine. From 8 human cadavers, 40 grafts were collected. We removed the bone-patella tendon-bone grafts, the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons, the quadriceps tendon-bone grafts, the Achilles tendons, and the peroneus longus tendons from each lower extremity. We tested the tendon grafts with five different types of fixation devices: surgical thread (Premicron 3), general mounting clamp, wire mesh, cement fixation, and a modified clamp for an INSTRON loading machine. The mean failure load in case of surgical thread fixation was (381N ± 26N). The results with the general clamp were (527N ± 45N). The wire meshes were more promising (750N ± 21N), but did not reach the outcomes we desired. Easy slippages of the ends of the tendons from the cement encasements were observed (253N ± 18N). We then began to use Shi's clamp that could produce 977N ± 416N peak force. We combined Shi's clamp with freezing of the graft and the rupture of the tendon itself demonstrated an average force of 2198 N ± 773N. We determined that our modified frozen clamp fixed the specimens against high tensile forces.
authors.affiliation: Uzsoki Hospital Orthopedic-Traumatologic Department , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: Gy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hangody
authors.affiliation: Uzsoki Hospital Orthopedic-Traumatologic Department , Budapest , Hungary.|Department of Traumatology, Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pánics
authors.affiliation: Cooperation Research Center for Biomechanics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szebényi
authors.affiliation: Cooperation Research Center for Biomechanics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.affiliation: Uzsoki Hospital Orthopedic-Traumatologic Department , Budapest , Hungary.|Department of Traumatology, Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hangody
authors.affiliation: Uzsoki Hospital Orthopedic-Traumatologic Department , Budapest , Hungary.|Department of Traumatology, Semmelweis University , Budapest , Hungary.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pap
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D002102:Cadaver; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D019279:Resin Cements / Q000737:chemistry; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019279:Resin Cements
keywords: biomechanical testing; frozen clamp; human tendons; load to failure test; tendon allograft