The Effects of Elbow Joint Angle on the Mechanical Properties of the Common Extensor Tendon of the Humeral Epicondyle

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of elbow joint angle on mechanical properties, as represented by ultimate load, failure strain and elastic modulus, of bone-tendon specimens of common extensor tendon of the humeral epicondyle. Eight pairs of specimens were equally divided into two groups of 8 each, which selected arbitrarily from left or right side of each pair, positioned at 45$^{\circ}$ and 90$^{\circ}$ of elbow flexion and subjected to tension to failure in the physiological direction of the common extensor tendon. For comparison of the differences in the failure and elastic modulus between tendon and the bone-junction, data for both were evaluated individually. Significant reduction in ultimate load of bone-tendon specimens was shown to occur at 45$^{\circ}$. The values obtained from the bone-tendon junctions with regard to the failure strain were significant higher than those from tendon in both loading directions, but the largest failure strain at the bone-tendon junction was found at 45$^{\circ}$. The elastic modulus was found to decrease significantly at the bone-tendon junction when the loading direction switched from 90$^{\circ}$ to 45$^{\circ}$. Histological observation, after mechanical tensile tests, in both loading directions showed that failure occurred at the interface between tendon and uncalcified fibrocartilage in the thinnest fibrocartilage zone of the bone-tendon junction. We concluded that differences in measured mechanical properties are a consequence of varying the loading direction of the tendon across the bone-tendon specimen.