Effect of Remnant-Preserving Reconstruction of Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in a Rabbit Model : Histological and Biomechanical Analysis

Acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a key structure that stabilizes knee joints. The objective of this research is to investigate the influence of ligament remnants preserved on the tendon-bone healing following ACL reconstruction and to examine postoperative articular cartilage degeneration in rabbit as a model animal. Sixty New Zealand rabbits are randomly divided into an ACL reconstruction without remnant preservation group (Group A; n = 30) or ACL reconstruction with remnant preservation group (Group B; n = 30). The expression of HIF-1 alpha, VEGF, and micro vessel density (MVD) in the transplanted tendon was detected by immunohistochemical staining at week 6 and 12 after the operation. The signalintensity of the transplanted tendon was observed by MRI scanIP: 49.249.253.194 On: Thu, 20 Jan 2022 09:18:56 ning, and the width of the bone tunnel was mesured by CT scanning at week 6 and 12 after the Copyright: American Scientific Publishers operation. The graft biomechanics was tested 12 weeks after the operation. The JNK and MMP-13 expression levels were compared to analyze the cartilage degeneration of the knee at week 12 after the operation. The experimental results were analyzed and showed that the remnant-preserving ACL reconstruction is beneficial for bone healing of the tendon in rabbits, but ACL reconstruction with or without ligament remnants preserved will not affect knee articular cartilage degeneration post-surgery.