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Estrogen‐dependent tensile properties of the rabbit knee medial collateral ligament
Author(s) -
Räsänen T.,
Messner K.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0838.2000.010001020.x
Subject(s) - medial collateral ligament , medicine , ligament , estrogen , ultimate tensile strength , oophorectomy , endocrinology , anatomy , surgery , materials science , metallurgy , hysterectomy
The influence of oophorectomy or continuous administration of estradiol on the tensile properties of the rabbit knee medial collateral ligament was investigated. Young postpubertal female New Zealand white rabbits were either oophorectomized or underwent a sham operation. The sham‐operated animals received in addition a daily dosage of 4 mg 17β‐estradiol. After 5 months the animals were killed, and the material properties of the bone‐ligament‐bone complex in one knee were determined using a material testing machine and video system, and compared to non‐treated control animals. There was no difference in elastic modulus between the groups. However, the ligaments from low‐dose estrogen‐treated animals had a smaller cross‐sectional area and a higher ultimate tensile strength than those from controls or oophorectomized rabbits ( P <0.04–0.0003).