VISCOELASTIC BEHAVIOR OF COMPOSITE LIGAMENT PROSTHESES

Despite the compelling need for artificial connective tissue replaceme nts for orthopedic applications, to date, there is no material which c an adequately reproduce the mechanical behavior of natural tissue with necessary long-term endurance. In this work, we introduce a novel sof t composite material as a more suitable candidate for connective tissu e replacement. The material proposed is based on a hydrogel-polymer ma trix reinforced with poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers wound helical ly to mimic the architecture of the collagen fibers in natural tissue. Macroscopic behaviors such as static stress-strain, stress relaxation , and dynamic frequency responses can be modulated with choice of the components and design of the composite structure. In doing so, the mec hanical characteristics of natural ligaments can be qualitatively repr oduced and sustained over time. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.