Nutrient pathways in transferred patellar tendon used for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

With the use of the hydrogen washout technique, nutrient pathways of a Jones-type anterior cruciate substitution in the dog were examined. There was no hydrogen uptake by the graft of patellar tendon left attached to the tibia but isolated from the synovium. However, when the graft was placed against synovium in the intercondylar notch, hydrogen uptake and washout were not significantly different than when the patellar tendon was completely intact (control). We conclude that, at least initially, direct blood flow does not contribute to nutrition and that synovial diffusion may play a significant role in the sustenance of the graft.