[Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with the patellar tendon augmented by absorbable artificial materials. A...

An experimental study was performed to investigate the histological and molecular biological properties of reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) using the patellar tendon augmented by absorbable artificial material in rabbits. Thirty rabbits underwent ACL reconstruction with the patellar tendon (non-augmented group), and 30 with the patellar tendon augmented by a polyglactin 910 mesh (augmented group). They were respectively sacrificed at at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery for histological and molecular biological examination. Histologically, the fibrocytes were disappeared in deep portion of transplanted graft at 2 weeks after surgery in both groups. The graft was replaced with granulated tissues at 6 weeks in the augmented group, but it took 8 weeks in the non-augmented group. At 12 weeks, the graft showed hypocellularity with regularly oriented fibers in the augmented group, while it still showed hypercellularity with disoriented fibers in the non-augmented group. Molecular biologically, after the reconstruction at one week, the relative radioactivity in the graft was 1.05 in the non-augmented group, and 2.10 in the augmented group. Additionally the level of the alpha 2 (I) collagen mRNA was also significantly higher in the augmented group than that in the non-augmented group. These results suggested that a polyglactin 910 mesh had an effect on the process of reorganization and remodeling in the transplanted patellar tendon during the post-operative period in rabbit.