Comparative determination of the mechanical strength of the grafts models of the half of the peroneus longus tendon and the semitendinosus tendon (experimental study)

Purpose To perform the comparative assessment of the mechanical strength of models of semitendinosus and peroneus longus tendon grafts prepared using the GraftLink technique. Materials and methods Tendon material was collected on the base of the Irkutsk Regional Bureau of Forensic Medicine. The main stage of the mechanical strength study of graft models was carried out at the National Research Irkutsk State Technical University, the Department of Strength of Materials, using universal tension testing desk-standing machine Shimadzu AGS-10kNXD. The mechanical strength of graft models of tendon of the semitendinosus and peroneal longus muscles, prepared by a known method (GraftLink technique) was defined. Statistical data processing was carried out using the statistical software Statistica for Windows 10.0 (StatSoft Inc., USA; license holder is the Irkutsk Scientific Center of Surgery and Traumatology). We used a nonparametric method for defining the statistical significance of differences, i.e. the Mann-Whitney test. Differences in the compared groups were considered statistically significant in p < 0.01. Results The mechanical strength of the graft harvested from the semitendinosus muscle tendon according to the known technique averaged out at 351.8 ± 133.0 N, and the mechanical strength of the graft from the half of the peroneus longus tendon, prepared in a known manner, averaged out at 632.4 ± 193.7 N. Statistically significant differences were revealed (p