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Biomechanics and Morphology of the Medial Collateral and Anterior Cruciate Ligaments

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Biomechanics of Diarthrodial Joints

Abstract

The ligaments of the knee serve to guide normal joint motion and provide stability. They are composed of densely packed collagen fibers, running parallel to the axis of loading. When unloaded, the tissue has a characteristic crimp pattern. As the ligament is stretched, more collagen fibers are recruited to bear load and the collagen crimp pattern disappears (Viidik and Lewin 1966). This gradual recruitment of ligament fibers results in a nonlinear constitutive relation for the ligament as a whole. During normal activity levels, the ligaments maintain normal knee joint kinematics with relatively small loads. When the knee is subjected to large externally applied forces such as those that occur in sporting activities, excessive joint motion is restricted by the increasing stiffness of the ligament.

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Authors
  1. S. L-Y. Woo
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  2. J. A. Weiss
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  3. D. A. MacKenna
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Research Laboratory Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Anthony Ratcliffe

  2. Divisions of Orthopaedics, University of California, 92093, San Diego La Jolla, CA, USA

    Savio L-Y. Woo

  3. Orthopaedic Research Laboratory Department of Mechanical Engineering and Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbia University, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Van C. Mow

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Woo, S.LY., Weiss, J.A., MacKenna, D.A. (1990). Biomechanics and Morphology of the Medial Collateral and Anterior Cruciate Ligaments. In: Ratcliffe, A., Woo, S.LY., Mow, V.C. (eds) Biomechanics of Diarthrodial Joints. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3448-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3448-7_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8015-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-3448-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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