EFFECTS OF CONSTANT MECHANICAL TENSION ON THE HEALING OF RABBIT FLEXOR TENDONS

The biomechanical effects of constant mechanical load on tendon repair in vitro were determined for rabbit flexor tendons. Tendons were remo ved from Zone II, transected, reapproximated with four simple sutures, and cultured in standard medium. Tendons from the right forelimbs wer e loaded with 3.1-g weights; tendons from the contralateral forelimbs served as unloaded tendons. Tenorrhaphies were disrupted at zero, one, three, and six weeks postsuturing by fixed-speed tensiometry. True ma ximum stress (strength), normalized energy absorbed, and tangent modul us steadily increased over time, becoming significantly greater than u nincubated controls in the loaded and unloaded groups at six weeks. Tr ue strain at maximum stress increased with duration for unloaded tendo ns; after six weeks it was significantly greater than unincubated cont rol tendons. This study demonstrates a method for quantifying the biom echanics of tendon after intrinsic tendon segment healing and presents the first biomechanical evaluation of constant tension applied across the laceration site during an in vitro healing phase.