The Effect of Donor Age and Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation on the Initial Biomechanical Properties
Purpose: To understand whether donor age and low-dose gamma irradiation affect the initial biomechanical properties of tibialis allografts.
Summary:
- One hundred twenty-six tibialis tendon allografts (63 pairs, 37 human donors) were divided into 3 age groups: young (<45 years), middle (46–55 years), and old (56–65 years). Within each age group, half of the paired tendons underwent tensile testing as single-strand grafts and the other half as double-strand grafts. One tendon from each donor pair was randomly assigned to undergo terminal sterilization with an absorbed dose of 1.46 to 1.80 Mrad (14.6-18.0 kGy) gamma irradiation, whereas the other tendon received no irradiation. All tendon grafts were preconditioned with a cyclic load and tested to failure in tension.
- Nonirradiated double-strand tendons in the old age group had a lower failure stress. Single-strand irradiated old tendons had a lower stiffness, and all irradiated young tendons and old double-strand tendons had a higher failure stress compared to nonirradiated tendons.
- The results provide biomechanical evidence for use of tibialis allografts from donors up to 65 years of age. Low-dose gamma irradiation does not negatively influence the initial biomechanical properties of tibialis allografts.
Take Away: Donor age up to 65 years does not significantly affect the initial failure load, stiffness, or displacement at failure of tibialis allografts. An age-related decrease in failure stress was observed among nonirradiated tendons but not in tendons subjected to irradiation.
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Greaves, L. L., A. T. Hecker, and C. H. Brown. "The Effect of Donor Age and Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation on the Initial Biomechanical Properties of Human Tibialis Tendon Allografts." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 36.7 (2008): 1358-366. Web. April 9, 2008.
