Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany.
J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2012 Dec;16:81-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2012.04.025. Epub 2012 Oct 30.
To understand biomechanics of ligaments and tendons data on their material properties are necessary. The iliotibial tract is a suitable model for virtual pelvic or lower extremity ligaments due to its parallel fibers, which facilitates biomechanical testing. Here, we determined Young's modulus (YM) as secant stiffness between defined limits of the iliotibial tract and correlated the data to ultimate stress (US) of the specimens and to age, gender and body weight of the body donors.
Thirty eight specimens from 12 iliotibial tracts of 10 young donors (mean age 31.2±9.1 years) were investigated biomechanically. After preconditioning, YM were determined in the ranges of 0-4 and 4-11 N/mm² of applied stress and from 4N/mm² of applied stress to US.
YM of the specimens were 84.7±30.2 (0-4 N/mm²), 335.4±101.9 (4-11 N/mm²), and 369.1±191.5 (4 N/mm² to US) N/mm², respectively. The mean US was 35.8±16.4 N/mm². YM and US correlated closely in the ranges of 4-11 N/mm² (r=0.95) and 4 N/mm² to US (r=0.91). YM did not correlate to age, body weight or gender within these young donors. Concerning tissue behavior a decrease of YM, i.e. weakening, is more common than an increase of YM, i.e. stiffening, before specimen failure. Overall, YM of specimens from young donors were significantly lower compared to those of old donors.
This is the first study providing age-dependent nonlinear stiffness properties of the iliotibial tract. YM is significantly lower in young than in old donors and is thus a subject of alteration during life time.
了解韧带和肌腱的生物力学特性需要有关其材料特性的数据。由于髂胫束具有平行纤维，因此它是虚拟骨盆或下肢韧带的理想模型，这便于进行生物力学测试。在这里，我们确定了髂胫束在定义范围内的杨氏模量（YM）作为割线刚度，并将数据与标本的极限应力（US）以及供体的年龄、性别和体重相关联。
对 10 名年轻供体的 12 个髂胫束中的 38 个标本进行了生物力学研究。在预适应后，在 0-4N/mm² 和 4-11N/mm² 的应用应力范围内以及在 4N/mm² 的应用应力至 US 范围内确定了 YM。
标本的 YM 分别为 84.7±30.2（0-4N/mm²）、335.4±101.9（4-11N/mm²）和 369.1±191.5（4N/mm² 至 US）N/mm²。平均 US 为 35.8±16.4N/mm²。YM 和 US 在 4-11N/mm²（r=0.95）和 4N/mm² 至 US（r=0.91）的范围内密切相关。在这些年轻供体中，YM 与年龄、体重或性别均无相关性。就组织行为而言，在标本失效之前，YM 的降低（即变弱）比 YM 的增加（即变硬）更为常见。总体而言，年轻供体标本的 YM 明显低于老年供体。
这是第一项提供髂胫束年龄相关非线性刚度特性的研究。YM 在年轻供体中明显低于老年供体，因此是一生中发生变化的一个因素。
