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Biomechanical Assessment of the Healing Response of the Rabbit Patellar Tendon After Removal of Its Central Third

McClure Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont

Dirk Proffer, MD

Vann Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, Virginia Beach, Virginia

David J. Drez, Jr., MD

Knee and Shoulder Sports Medicine Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Charles J. Stankewich, MS

McClure Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont

Robert J. Johnson, MD

McClure Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont, College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont

The objective of this study was to determine the bio mechanical properties of the healing patellar tendon after removal of its central third. This was accomplished by removing the central third of the patellar tendon from the right limb of 30 mature New Zealand White rabbits. The tendon of the contralateral normal limb served as the unoperated control. The rabbits were separated into five test groups according to healing time: time of sur gery and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after surgery. The ulti mate failure strength of the patellar tendons with the central third removed was significantly less than the fail ure strength of the contralateral normal patellar tendons at all time intervals after surgery. At the time of surgery, the ultimate failure strength values of the operated pa tellar tendons were on average 53% of the normal patellar tendons, increasing to 72% of normal at 6 months. There was a significant correlation between the ultimate failure strength of the operated tendons and healing time. The positive slope for this regression in dicated that the ultimate failure strength of the operated tendons converged toward normal as healing pro gressed. Failure mode of the operated tendon did not depend on healing time.

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