# STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF HUMAN ACL

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 1991 · $134,708

## Abstract

The aim of this proposal is to gain a better understanding of the
function of human knees with normal anterior cruciate ligaments
(ACL), and ACL deficient as well as ACL grafts.  Specifically, the
in-situ load-deformation characteristics as well as the in-situ
loads in the ACL will be determined under varus-valgus rotation,
anterior-posterior translation, flexion-extension rotation and
internal-external rotation of the knee.  A kinematic linkage system
will be used to measure the relative displacement of the bones when
the specimens are subjected to these externally applied loads.

Knowledge obtained from this study will be primary importance with
respect to clinical treatment of ACL injury.  Numerous surgical
techniques and postoperative programs have been utilized to date
in an effort to obtain better clinical results.  However, no
procedure has produced results that allow joint function to fully
recover, and no graft has yet been designed which truly mimics the
structural properties of the ACL.  Success falls considerably short
of normal knee function.  It is our view that the favorable
clinical results would not arrive without a better fundamental
understanding of the structure and functional relationship of the
ACL.

In order to achieve the above objectives, a specifically designed
six degree-of-freedom kinematic linkage system will be used to
measure changes in the length of different ACL bundles during
externally applied loads to an intact knee.  These bundles will be
isolated together with small bone blocks at each end.  Tensile
tests will be done to determine their load-deformation
characteristics.  The data will then be consolidated with the
length measurements obtained from the intact knee tests so that the
in-situ loads of the fiber bundles can be determined.  A vector sum
of these forces will be used to represent the loads of the entire
ACL.  A  similar scheme will then be used to determine the ACL
graft function (and joint kinematics) after reconstruction.  The
specific goals are to study effects of graft placement (anatomical
position vs. "over-the-top") and the amount of graft pretension of
joint motion.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3159878
- **Project number:** 7R01AR039683-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MKAGLD59JRL1
- **Principal Investigator:** SAVIO L-Y. WOO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $134,708
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 1990-12-01 → 1992-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3159878

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3159878, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF HUMAN ACL (7R01AR039683-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3159878. Licensed CC0.

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