Tendon and Ligament

Roles of Ligaments and Joint Capsules

x

Assist in Stabilization of Joint Restrict Movement Prevent Excessive Motion

Roles of Tendons
x

Attach muscle to bone Transmit tensile loads Position of muscle relative to joint

Mechanical Behavior of Tendons and Ligaments

Both are viscoelastic tissues x Visco - a small amount of load results in quite a bit of deformation (relative) x Elastic - refers to Elastic Region x Importance of viscoelastic qualities?
x

Properties of Tendon
can sustain high tensile loads x flexible to allow changes in direction of muscle pull
x

Properties of Ligament
x

guides movement resists applied force

Mechanical Properties of Tendon and Ligament

Strength x Stiffness
x

Damage to Tendon and Ligament

x

When load is great enough to cause injury, damage is dependent on:

x rate

and x amount of load

(0,0) - A: Toe Region x A - B: Elastic Region x B: Yield Point x B - C: Plastic Region x C: Ultimate Failure Point
x

Load-Deformation Curve for Tendon and Ligament

Comparison of Bone to Tendon and Ligament

x

Identify similarities and differences between these tissue types.

Mechanical Properties of Tendon and Ligament

Strength x Stiffness
x

Injury Mechanisms
Injury occurs when tissue is loaded beyond its physiological range. x Microfailure occurs before the yield point is reached.
x

Injury Mechanisms cont.

x

When yield point is exceeded, the ligament begins to undergo gross failure. Results in abnormal joint displacement

Displacement results in...

3 Clinical Categories of Ligament Injury

x

Negligible Clinical Symptoms (Grade 1)

x no

joint instability can be detected clinically

Severe Pain (Grade 2)

x joint

instability can be detected clinically x strength and stiffness decreases by 50%

x

3 Clinical Categories of Ligament Injury cont.

x

Severe Pain (Grade 3)

x severe

pain experienced during the injury with less pain after the injury x joint is completely unstable x most collagen fibers have ruptured

Noyes Study (1977)

Rhesus monkeys x 8 wks immobilization x returned to mobilization x at 12 mo. mechanical properties were comparable to nonimmobilized ligaments. x Drumroll?
x

Amount of force produced by muscle x Stress comparison between tendon and muscle x Loading Rates
x

Additional Factors Important in Tendon Injury

Factors Affecting Biomechanical Properties of Tendon and Ligament

x

Aging Pregnancy Mobilization vs. Immobilization NSAIDs

Osteoarthritis
x

Researchers suggest that a deficiency in mechanisms that minimize peak forces may cause osteoarthritis.