Strain distribution in the ligament using photoelasticity. A direct application to the human ACL

Abstract Large and highly variable deformations of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the human knee cannot be adequately quantified by one-dimensional and/or localized measurements. In order to measure strains in the entire area of the ACL, we employed the photoelastic coating method to analyze stress on the basis of the strains. A specific kind of polyurethane possessing optically high fringe-sensitivity was found to be most suitable for the measurement purposes. Although the photoelastic method has been successfully applied in various fields for stress analyses, its use in studying large deformations of biological tissues has not been reported. Therefore, before proceeding with our main study, we first examined the effects of polyurethane film on the mechanical properties of the ligament. We found that the film had a negligible effect on the tissues' properties, and closely reflected the strain behavior of the tissues. We then applied the method to measure strains on an actual ACL during free flexion-extension of the knee. A specially designed apparatus was used to allow a natural motion of the knee. A portion of the femoral bone was removed to expose the ACL to view. Measurement and analysis gave continuous information about strain distribution, including the variations of strain along the principal strain directions in the ACL.