Premium
Effect of dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycans on the quasi‐static material properties of the human medial collateral ligament
Author(s) -
Lujan Trevor J.,
Underwood Clayton J.,
Henninger Heath B.,
Thompson Brent M.,
Weiss Jeffrey A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of orthopaedic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.041
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1554-527X
pISSN - 0736-0266
DOI - 10.1002/jor.20351
Subject(s) - decorin , ultimate tensile strength , dermatan sulfate , glycosaminoglycan , medial collateral ligament , ligament , composite material , materials science , connective tissue , biomedical engineering , chemistry , biophysics , anatomy , extracellular matrix , proteoglycan , medicine , pathology , chondroitin sulfate , biochemistry , biology
The glycosaminoglycan of decorin, dermatan sulfate (DS), has been suggested to contribute to the mechanical properties of soft connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons. This study investigated the mechanical function of DS in human medial collateral ligaments (MCL) using nondestructive shear and tensile material tests performed before and after targeted removal of DS with chondroitinase B (ChB). The quasi‐static elastic material properties of human MCL were unchanged after DS removal. At peak deformation, tensile and shear stresses in ChB treated tissue were within 0.5% ( p > 0.70) and 2.0% ( p > 0.30) of pre‐treatment values, respectively. From pre‐ to post‐ChB treatment under tensile loading, the tensile tangent modulus went from 242 ± 64 to 233 ± 57 MPa ( p = 0.44), and tissue strain at peak deformation went from 4.3 ± 0.3% to 4.4 ± 0.3% ( p = 0.54). Tissue hysteresis was unaffected by DS removal for both tensile and shear loading. Biochemical analysis confirmed that 90% of DS was removed by ChB treatment when compared to control samples, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging further verified the degradation of DS by showing an 88% reduction ( p < .001) of sulfated glycosaminoglycans in ChB treated tissue. These results demonstrate that DS in mature knee MCL tissue does not resist tensile or shear deformation under quasi‐static loading conditions, challenging the theory that decorin proteoglycans contribute to the elastic material behavior of ligament. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:894–903, 2007