Effect of freezing on histologic and biomechanical failure patterns in the rabbit capital femoral growth plate.

Ten pairs of proximal femora were harvested from 8-week-old New Zealand white rabbits. Experimental shear fractures were then created in vitro, and load-displacement curves were recorded. One specimen from each animal was tested within 4 h of death, whereas the contralateral specimen was frozen for 10 to 20 days and thawed prior to testing. Histologic sections of the fractured specimens were studied. No statistically significant differences could be demonstrated between the fresh and the frozen/thawed specimens in either the histologic patterns or the shear load or stress to failure.