Biomechanical Properties of Femur–Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Scar–Tibia Complex for Rabbit MCLs Injected With Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1, Carrier Alone (Control) or Neither (External Normal)
| Property | TGF-β1, 7 μg (n = 7) | Control (n = 7) | External normal (n = 12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-sectional area, mm | 7.6 (4.0) | 8.9 (1.8) | 3.9 (0.2) |
| MCL laxity, mm | 1.27 (0.42) | 1.17 (0.51) | 0.28 (0.19) |
| Cyclic load relaxation, % | 46.4 (7.4) | 47.3 (4.8) | 20.3 (3.2) |
| Static load relaxation, % | 69.3 (16.7) | 66.6 (7.7) | 36.9 (5.0) |
| Stiffness, N/mm | 40.0 (19.0) | 47.9 (15.7) | 107.1 (9.6) |
| Failure load, N | 77.3 (45.3) | 105.9 (42.0) | 368.6 (48.5) |
| Failure stress, MPa | 10.5 (3.5) | 12.1 (4.7) | 95.2 (12.4) |
Values are means (and standard deviations).
Note: there are no significant differences between TGF-β1-treated and control groups for any parameters. All of the experimental groups are significantly different from external normal controls for all parameters (p < 0.05).