MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF FOOT TENDONS IN VITRO STUDY

The aim of the present study was to determine the mechanical properties of main intrinsic and extrinsic human foot tendons in vitro. Seventy six uniaxial tensile tests were performed to obtain the stress-strain curve of different foot tendons. The specimens were harvested from four frozen cadaver feet and included: Extensor and. Flexor tendons of all toes, Tibialis Anterior and Posterior tendons, Peroneus Brevis and Longus tendons. Young's modulus was calculated for each sample. Ultimate tensile stress and strain failure were also recorded. Furthermore, the characteristics of the stress-strain curve, initial strain and linear region, were quantified. All tests showed the characteristic tendon stress-strain curve with an initial strain without load followed by a linear region until macroscopic failure. The mean strain failure was 13 +/- 6.2%. The Young's modulus of all samples ranged from 0.1 to 0.8GPa with a mean value of 0.34 +/- 0,18GPa. Two different tendon behaviors could be distinguished. Tibialis and Peroneus tendons exhibited higher values of strain failure if compared to Flexor and Extensor tendons which had higher Young's modulus.