Biomechanics: Principles and Applications pp 185-190 | Cite as
The Displacement of the Bony Insertion Sites of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament during the Flexion of the Knee
Abstract
The function of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee in relation to knee stability and its mechanical properties is well documented in the litterature and is the subject of numerous papers (1 to 5). Several reconstructive procedures exist for treating ACL insufficiency (6 to 10). At present, prostheses are not yet available to replace the ACL but current research is focusing on composite devices (11) or carbon fibers (12). The long term success of ACL replacement is bound to implant properties closely mimicking the physiological pattern of the ACL. Besides adapted mechanical characteristics the function of these implants, whether natural or artificial is strongly dependent upon their specific insertion sites. Very few studies relate the effects of knee motion on the length variation of the ACL. WANG, WALKER and WOLF (13) performed such measurements by using x-ray techniques but the ACL was considered incorrectly to be a unique structure (14). The aim of the present study is to directly measure the length pattern of the different bands of the ACL during knee flexion.
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