Kubo Keitaro, Teshima Takanori, Hirose Norikazu, Tsunoda Naoya
Department of Life Science, University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan.
J Appl Biomech. 2014 Jun;30(3):415-22. doi: 10.1123/jab.2013-0220. Epub 2014 Mar 5.
The purpose of this study was to compare the morphological and mechanical properties of the human patellar tendon among elementary school children (prepubertal), junior high school students (pubertal), and adults. Twenty-one elementary school children, 18 junior high school students, and 22 adults participated in this study. The maximal strain, stiffness, Young's modulus, hysteresis, and cross-sectional area of the patellar tendon were measured using ultrasonography. No significant difference was observed in the relative length (to thigh length) or cross-sectional area (to body mass(2/3)) of the patellar tendon among the three groups. Stiffness and Young's modulus were significantly lower in elementary school children than in the other groups, while no significant differences were observed between junior high school students and adults. No significant differences were observed in maximal strain or hysteresis among the three groups. These results suggest that the material property (Young's modulus) of the patellar tendons of elementary school children was lower than that of the other groups, whereas that of junior high school students was already similar to that of adults. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the extensibility (maximal strain) or viscosity (hysteresis) of the patellar tendon among the three groups.
本研究的目的是比较小学生（青春期前）、初中生（青春期）和成年人的人类髌腱的形态和力学性能。21名小学生、18名初中生和22名成年人参与了本研究。使用超声测量髌腱的最大应变、刚度、杨氏模量、滞后和横截面积。三组髌腱的相对长度（相对于大腿长度）或横截面积（相对于体重(2/3)）未观察到显著差异。小学生的刚度和杨氏模量显著低于其他组，而初中生和成年人之间未观察到显著差异。三组之间在最大应变或滞后方面未观察到显著差异。这些结果表明，小学生髌腱的材料特性（杨氏模量）低于其他组，而初中生的髌腱材料特性已与成年人相似。此外，三组髌腱的伸展性（最大应变）或粘性（滞后）未观察到显著差异。
