Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a major clinical problem, leading to instability of the knee joint. This is especially unfortunate, as ACL failure is most commonly encountered in sports, where it affects healthy, younger people who wish to pursue an active life-style. Due to the frequency and potential severity of injuries, a need still exists for information on the biomechanical properties of ligaments under loading conditions, which occur at the time of trauma. The aims of this study were to examine the effect of different loading conditions on the mechanical properties and the appearance of the ruptured ligaments when viewed by scanning electron microscopy. Examining the appearance of collagen fibres at these surfaces should help us understand more about what actually happens during and after the fracture process. This study represents a combination of the two fields of tissue mechanics and fracture morphology for understanding the failure of biological tissues. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)t.

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