Morphological and biomechanical studies of the ligamentum arteriosum.

Fifteen ligaments taken from individuals aged between 60 and 80 years were used for the study of the histological structure, the composition of the ground substance and the biomechanical behavior. Remnants of the original duct are recognizable in the ligament as artery of the muscular type. What had been the intima is thickened and consists mainly of cell-poor, fiber-rich connective tissue, which often shows chondrification along with calcification. The biomechanical behavior of the ligaments, evaluated with the force-length and force-relaxation test, was similar to that of peripheral arteries.