• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was performed to compare the strength of ligamentous attached sites of cadaveric distal femur and to obtain reliable biomechanical data to use in ligamentous reconstruction or augmentation. Materials and Methods: Fifteen cadaveric distal femurs were used for this study. After measuring the bone density, 5.0 mm cannulated screw (Experiment 1) or reconstructed porcine ligament (Experiment 2) was inserted into the each ligamentous attached sites of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL). In experiment 2, reconstructed porcine graft was fixed with bioabsorbable screw in ligamentous insertion sites. And we measured the maximal pullout force of each ligamentous attached sites of cadaveric distal femur. Results: Average bone mineral density was $1.205{\pm}0.137\;g/cm^2$ in experiment 1, $1.236{\pm}0.089\;g/cm^2$ in experiment 2, which showed no statistically significant differences. In experiment 1, average pull-out strength of ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL group were $519.1{\pm}111.7$ N, $638.9{\pm}144.4$ N, $169.7{\pm}56.0$ N, $225.6{\pm}61.5$ N respectively. In experiment 2, the average pull-out strength were $310.6{\pm}31.0$ N, $379.9{\pm}47.4$ N, $104.0{\pm}14.4$ N, $131.5{\pm}21.9$ N respectively. In experiment 1, there was no significant difference between ACL and PCL group and between MCL and LCL group. However, the maximal pullout strength of MCL and LCL group were significantly lower than that of ACL and PCL group (p<0.01). Experiment 2 showed the same results of experiment 1. Conclusion: Because stiffness of MCL and LCL attached sites are much lower than that of ACL and PCL attached sites, we may consider augmented fixation in ligamentous reconstructions of MCL and LCL.