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Updated: Jul 29, 2026
Athymic Rat Model for Evaluation of Engineered Anterior Cruciate Ligament Grafts
Published on: March 26, 2015
Anterolateral ligament reconstruction with autologous grafting: A biomechanical study
E Monaco1, R M Lanzetti1, M Fabbri1
1University of Rome "La Sapienza", II School of Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Kirk Kilgour Sports Injury Center, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy.
Background:
To evaluate the reliability of the Iliotibial band compared to gracilis tendon as a graft to be used in anterolateral ligament reconstruction.
Methods:
Gracilis tendon and a strip of Iliotibial band compared were harvested from 8 fresh human cadaveric knees. The gracilis tendon was prepared to obtain a graft of 10cm in length (Group 1). Iliotibial band compared was prepared to obtain a graft of 10cm in length and 0.5cm in width from the middle portion (Group 2). All the specimens were fixed on a servo hydraulic tensile machine with dedicated cryo-clamp. The loading protocol, used to compare the previously published results of ultimate failure load and Stiffness of the anterolateral ligament (Group 3), included a cyclic preconditioning between 10 and 25N at 0.1Hz for 10cycles and then a load to failure test at 20mm/min.
Findings:
Gracilis tendon showed higher Ultimante Failure Load and stiffness when compared to a strip of Iliotibial band. Gracilis tendon and a strip of Iliotibial band compared showed higher Ultimante Failure Load and stiffness when compared with native anterolateral ligament as reported by Kennedy.
Interpretation:
Both grafts tested in the present studies are suitable for an anatomical anterolateral ligament reconstruction.
