The Influence of Bath Environment on the Fluid Content of Human and Rabbit Patellar Tendons
Abstract Recent studies have shown that the mechanical properties of tendons and ligaments are dependent on the amount of fluid present in the tissue. These studies have used a variety of bath environments to maintain or alter the fluid content of the tissue. However, no study has measured the effect of these baths on the fluid content of the specimen. In addition, no study has documented the influence of test environment on sectioned versus whole specimens. This experiment investigated the effect of saline, distilled water and sucrose baths on human and rabbit patellar tendons. Specimens were placed into the baths, and weight gain over time was measured. The results show that all specimens gained weight, and thus fluid, over time. The results further show that human specimens absorbed fluid at a faster rate than rabbit specimens. An important conclusion of this study is that exposure time in a bath is a critical factor in tissue hydration. Significant differences in absorption rates between divided and whole specimens were also found.