Comparison of histopathological and biomechanical changes of ligamentum mucosum in patients with anterior cruciate ligament rupture
Yalçın Turhan1
, Mehmet Arıcan2, Zekeriya Okan Karaduman2, Mehmet Ali Sungur3, Mehmet Gamsızkan4
1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Health Sciences University, Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
2Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Türkiye
3Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Türkiye
4Department of Pathology, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Türkiye
Keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament, arthroscopy, infrapatellar plica, knee, ligamentum mucosum, rupture.
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the biomechanical and histopathological changes of ligamentum mucosum (LM) in patients with intact versus ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Patients and methods: A total of 67 patients (45 males, 22 females; mean age: 33.2±7.9 years; range, 18 to 45 years) who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery for intraarticular pathologies between July 2022 and January 2023 were prospectively analyzed. The patients with LM were divided into two groups as the ACL intact group (n=31) and ACL ruptured group (n=36). Biomechanical tests and histopathological examinations were performed in all LM patients.
Results: Age and body mass index distributions were similar between the groups (p>0.05). Peak force values of the LM in the ACL ruptured group were significantly higher than the ACL intact group (p=0.037). No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of collagen index (p=0.103) and fibroblast count (p=0.821).
Conclusion: The peak force values of the LM were significantly higher in the ACL ruptured group as compared to the ACL intact group, which is probably due to the adaptation of LM in patients with ACL rupture against increased deforming forces to maintain knee stability.
Citation: Turhan Y, Arıcan M, Karaduman ZO, Sungur MA, Gamsızkan M. Comparison of histopathological and biomechanical changes of ligamentum mucosum in patients with anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Jt Dis Relat Surg 2024;35(3):610-617. Doi: 10.52312/jdrs.2024.1761.
The study protocol was approved by the Düzce University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee (date: 23.05.202, no: 2022/95). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.
A written informed consent was obtained from each patient.
Idea/concept, literature review, critical review, references and fundings: Y.T.; Design, writing the article, materials: Y.T., M.A.; Control/supervision: Z.O.K., M.A.S., M.G.; Data collection: Y.T., M.A.; Processing: M.A.S., M.G.; Analysis and/or interpretation: Y.T., M.A., Z.O.K.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.