Nerve endings and biomechanical study of the residual tendon after removal of the central one-third of the patellar tendon

In the case of use of the patellar tendon for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, mechanical and immunohistochemical changes of the remaining portion of patellar tendon were examined in the course after operation. Using adult white rabbits, for extracting segmentectomy patellar tendons, that five animals were sacrificed in the experimental group and five in the control group at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after operation. In each tendon, through tensile intensity and quantification of nerve endings by immunohistochemical staining, and quantitative changes of these parameters with lapse of time were examined. In comparison with the healthy side, the affected side showed a tendency toward increase with time in both mechanical strength and amount of nerve endings up to 9 months after operation, but thereafter, they became almost steady. These results suggest that the feedback system necessary for cooperative articular motion is functioning in the remaining portion of patellar tendon, and knee-joint extension function and patella-femur joint stabilization function of the original patellar tendon are compensated, and in addition, there is a limit in this compensating function.

膝蓋腱

免疫組織化学

引っ張り強度

間接協調運動

代償機能

本文データは山口大学医学会の許諾に基づきCiNiiから複製したものである