10
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Sequential Enzymolysis of Ligament and Resultant Stress-Strain Behavior

, &
Pages 453-467 | Received 14 Aug 1972, Published online: 11 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Enzymolysis has been used as a technique to elucidate the contributions of the two structural proteins, collagen and elastin, and the matrix ground substance (“mucopolysaccharides”) to the mechanical response of ligamentum nuchae in vitro. Specimens cut from the same ligament were drawn to failure after being subjected to varying sequences of enzyme and/or buffer treatments. Collagenase, hyaluronidase + β-glucuronidase, trypsin, and elastase were employed. The data suggest that the collagen and elastic fiber networks are kept somewhat apart and lubricated by the mucopolysaccharide matrix and that the elastic fiber network constrains the collagen network from slipping viscoelastically at both low and high strain, which thus prevents greater alignment of the collagen fibers and, probably, irreversible changes in the dimensions and microstructure of the tissue under normal physiologic functioning.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.