Background: Recent data suggest that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with irradiated allograft tissue may lead to increased failure rates.
Conclusion: Low-dose (1.0-1.2 Mrad) gamma irradiation decreases BTB graft stiffness by 20%, but it does not affect other failure or cyclic parameters.
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Adam B. Yanke, MD, Rebecca Bell, MD, Andrew Lee, BS, Richard W. Kang, MS, MD, Richard C. Mather III MD, Elizabeth F. Shewman, MS, Vincent M. Wang, PhD, and Bernard R. Bach Jr, MD. "The Biomechanical Effects of 1.0 to 1.2 Mrad of Gamma Irradiation on Human Bone–Patellar Tendon–Bone Allografts". Am J Sports Med. 2013 Apr;41(4):835-40.