Submaximal low-strain cyclic loading induces localized inelastic deformation & diminished energy dissipation in the anterior cruciate ligament

IF 4.1 2区医学 Q2 ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-11 DOI:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107309

Peter M. Kuetzing , Ulrich M. Scheven , Ellen M. Arruda

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Submaximal loading during routine activities is an understudied contributor to evolving mechanics preceding acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. This study characterizes the history-dependent mechanical response of the anteromedial (AM) bundle of the ACL subjected to repeated submaximal low-strain cyclic loading and intermittent recovery periods. This loading regime represents early-stage behavior often referred to as preconditioning, which is important for achieving steady-state mechanics but also for understanding the onset of irreversible changes. Digital image correlation (DIC) reveals the development of localized inelastic deformation in regions corresponding to clinically observed acute ACL tears. Complementary repeated cycle-recovery (RCR) experiments reveal that inelastic deformation and normalized hysteresis follow a dual-regime pattern, with pronounced early-cycle attenuation followed by a linear-log response. These findings indicate that submaximal loading induces irreversible mechanical changes on short time scales and establishes a mechanistic link between physiological relevant load histories and increased site-specific susceptibility of the ACL.

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次最大低应变循环加载引起前交叉韧带局部非弹性变形和能量耗散减弱。

日常活动中的亚最大负荷是急性前交叉韧带（ACL）损伤前力学演变的一个尚未得到充分研究的因素。本研究描述了前韧带（AM）束在重复的次最大低应变循环加载和间歇恢复期下的历史依赖性力学响应。这种加载状态代表了通常被称为预处理的早期行为，这对于实现稳态力学和理解不可逆变化的开始都很重要。数字图像相关（DIC）揭示了临床上观察到的急性ACL撕裂相应区域的局部非弹性变形的发展。互补重复循环恢复（RCR）实验表明，非弹性变形和归一化迟滞遵循双重模式，具有明显的早期周期衰减，然后是线性对数响应。这些研究结果表明，亚最大负荷在短时间内引起不可逆的力学变化，并在生理相关负荷历史和韧带特异性易感性增加之间建立了机制联系。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 工程技术-材料科学：生物材料

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

7.70%

发文量

505

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials is concerned with the mechanical deformation, damage and failure under applied forces, of biological material (at the tissue, cellular and molecular levels) and of biomaterials, i.e. those materials which are designed to mimic or replace biological materials. The primary focus of the journal is the synthesis of materials science, biology, and medical and dental science. Reports of fundamental scientific investigations are welcome, as are articles concerned with the practical application of materials in medical devices. Both experimental and theoretical work is of interest; theoretical papers will normally include comparison of predictions with experimental data, though we recognize that this may not always be appropriate. The journal also publishes technical notes concerned with emerging experimental or theoretical techniques, letters to the editor and, by invitation, review articles and papers describing existing techniques for the benefit of an interdisciplinary readership.