Quantitative analysis of biochemical characteristics of bone-patellar tendon-bone allografts

Allografts were used in the 80s and 90s to replace ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in the reduction of donor site morbidity. It was evident that in comparison with the autologous cruciate ligament grafts (ligamentum patellae) using Allografts (Tutoplast), a noticeably higher rupture rate appeared. The results from the work submitted serve as a detailed, highly structured description of human bone-patellar, tendon-bone (BPTB) and allografts (Tutoplast), which were used to replace ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments. The biochemical parameters: hydroxyproline or, as the case may be, total collagen content and non-reducible crosslinks were quantified. The examined material consisted of allografts, which had been taken from human ligamentum patellae and implanted five years ago as cruciate ligament reconstructions. The total collagen content in the analysis material amounted to 52.74%. The pyridinoline concentrations indicated in the test material amounted to 0.2135 mol PYR/mol collagen. The tissues examined contained 0.009245 mol DPD/mol collagen. The results show that in comparison with the values given for these tissues in the literature, there was a clear reduction in the total collagen content and the concentration of non-reducible correlations. On the basis of the analysis it may be supposed that the changed biochemical parameters are a cause of the increased rupture rate in allografts.