Development of textile based artificial anterior cruciate ligament

The purpose of this project to produce artificial anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) using leno weaving, braiding and narrow weaving techniques, to compare the mechanical properties of these ligaments with the natural ACL and to investigate fatigue and mechanical properties of these ligaments. For this purpose tube-like structures were produced from polyester and vectran yarns and the artificial anterior cruciate ligaments were produced by feeding the core of these structures by polyester and vectran yarns. The mechanical properties of the resultant artificial ligaments such as tenacity, breaking elongation and initial modules were revealed through mechanical tests and the results were compared with the natural anterior cruciate ligament. During the study, a dynamic fatigue test machine were developed. The fatigue behaviours and fatigue lifetime of produced artificial ACL have been investigated. The other purpose of this study was to coat ligaments with coaxial nanofibers in order to improve biocompatibility of ligaments. With in this scope, process parameters of coaxial silk fibroin nanofibers which contain Acetyl Salicylic acid(ASA) were investigated. The morphology of coaxial nanofibers was examined through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Existence of drug to be in the core of coaxial nanofiber has been proved via Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Keywords: Artificial ligament, Leno weaving, Braiding, Narrow weaving, Vectran®, Coaxial Electrospinning, Asetyl Salicylic Acid (ASA)