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KMID : 0352519950320010115
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Korea Univercity Medical Journal
1995 Volume.32 No. 1 p.115 ~ p.128
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Experimental Study on Ligament Healing in Rabbits
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Abstract
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The exact nature of ligament healing is still not documented like tendon healing and there are few reports about the role of synovial nutrition in ligament healing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a piee of the patellar ligament
can
survive and how to heal in vivo in the synovial fluid of the knee joint without reestablishment of the microcirculaton in rabbit models.
Ligament healing was studied in the rabbit patellar ligament. In group I, the patellar ligament was harvested (4x15mm), divided transversely (4x7.5mm) and repaired with 6-0 nylon in the manner of interrupted suture. The ipsilateral knee joint
then
opened medially through a small incision and repaired strip of ligament was transplanted into the knee joint cavity. In Group II, on the contralateral patellar ligament it was divided and sutured in situ with nylon 4-0. One week or two week
intervals
from first week to twelfth week postoperatively, the repaired ligaments were removed from the knee joint in group I and from sutured ligaments in group II. Both groups were compared with morphological analysis, histology and tensile strength
(break
point).
Macroscopically the surface of all pieces was smooth and glittering in both groups. Superficial fibroblasts were differentiated before migration and bridged the gap and produced collagen fibers but histologically there were no significant
differences
between the two groups. The rate of gain of tensile strength was more rapid in Group II compared to Group I and the rate of thyat was most conspicuous between four weeks and ten weeks postoperatively.
We conclude that pieces of ligament placed free in the synovial fluid of rabbit knee joint can survive without reestablishment of micricirculation and healing was accomplished successfuly even though the rate of healing was lowered than that of
in
situ,
which supports the view that diffusion of nutrients from synovial membrane may act as an important factor in the successful healing process after reconstruction of ligaments.
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