Hamstring Tendon Grafts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: The Effect of a 180° Twist Angle on Tensile...

Background: Evidence regarding the effects of twisting hamstring tendons on graft properties in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of a 180° twist on the tensile properties of human hamstring tendon grafts (HTGs). Methods: Fourteen human cadavers were included, and hamstring tendons (semitendinosus [ST] and gracilis [GR]) were harvested bilaterally. Matched pairs of tendons were allocated to the ST and GR groups and further subdivided into control (ST-0, GR-0) and experimental (ST-180, GR-180) subgroups. Standard tripled single-tendon grafts were prepared in the control groups, while grafts in the experimental groups were twisted by 180°. All grafts were preconditioned and tested using a universal testing machine (Shimadzu AGS-X, Shimadzu Corporation, Japan) to determine tensile strength, stiffness, tensile modulus, and energy absorption capacity. Results: In the semitendinosus group, the maximum force was 648.72 (±287.71) N for ST-0 and 853.11 (±189.14) N for ST-180, with energy absorption capacities of 9.21 (±4.47) J and 13.48 (±4.95) J, respectively. Although the mean values of the investigated parameters were consistently higher in the ST-180 group, these differences did not reach statistical significance. In the gracilis group, no statistically significant differences were observed between the GR-0 and GR-180 subgroups for any parameter. Conclusions: Twisting hamstring tendons by 180° during graft preparation results in limited alterations of biomechanical properties, without statistically significant improvements. These findings call into question the clinical relevance of this technique in enhancing graft material properties for ACL reconstruction.