Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Early Weight-Bearing Rehabilitation Protocol After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Published on: March 1, 2024
Biomechanical comparisons of three posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction procedures with load-controlled and
Nobuto Kitamura1, Kazunori Yasuda, Masanori Yamanaka
1Department of Sports Medicine and Joint Reconstruction Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Background:
Biomechanical behaviors of posterior cruciate ligament reconstructions under cyclic loading have not been sufficiently clarified.
Hypothesis:
Biomechanical behaviors of the reconstruction that involves use of flexor tendons and an Endobutton are significantly different under cyclic loading from behaviors of the two standard reconstructions in which bone-patellar tendon-bone graft is used.
Study Design:
Controlled laboratory study.
Methods:
In a porcine model, the tendon/Endobutton reconstruction, the tendon-bone/interference screw reconstruction, and the tendon-bone/tibial-inlay reconstruction were biomechanically compared by using two cyclic tests. In each group of 15 specimens, 5 knees underwent tensile testing without cyclic loading, and the remaining 10 underwent the same tensile test after 5000 cycles of load-controlled or displacement-controlled loading.
Results:
At the 5000th cycle, the peak displacement or the peak load was affected by each type of cyclic loading to a significantly greater degree in the knees with the tendon/Endobutton procedure than in the knees reconstructed with the other two procedures.
Conclusions:
Plastic deformation occurred more easily during cyclic loading in the knees with the tendon/Endobutton reconstruction than in the knees with the tendon-bone reconstructions.
Clinical Relevance:
When the tendon/Endobutton reconstruction is used, a longer period of postoperative immobilization is necessary.