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Selected Works of Trevor J. Lujan
Article
Effect of Dermatan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans on the Quasi-Static Material Properties of the Human Medial Collateral Ligament
Journal of Orthopaedic Research (2007)
  • Trevor J. Lujan, University of Utah
  • Clayton J. Underwood, University of Utah
  • Heath B. Henninger, University of Utah
  • Brent M. Thompson, University of Utah
  • Jeffrey A. Weiss, University of Utah
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Abstract
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.
Keywords
  • decorin,
  • dermatan sulfate,
  • glycosaminoglycan,
  • ligament,
  • mechanical properties
Disciplines
Publication Date
July, 2007
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.20351
Citation Information
Trevor J. Lujan, Clayton J. Underwood, Heath B. Henninger, Brent M. Thompson, et al.. "Effect of Dermatan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans on the Quasi-Static Material Properties of the Human Medial Collateral Ligament" Journal of Orthopaedic Research Vol. 25 Iss. 7 (2007) p. 894 - 903
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/trevor_lujan/42/