In vitro biomechanical evaluation of anterior cruciate ligament graft substitutes.

The study was undertaken to identify an isoelastic graft material for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Double transducer ultrasonic pulse transmission method was employed for determining the elastic properties of normal ACL in comparison with various graft materials like the central third of the patellar tendon, semitendinosus and iliotibial band in different twisted forms. The elasticity and rigidity parameters were studied by taking ACL as being equal to 100 per cent. Our results indicated that the strength of the graft depended upon the density of the collagen bundles and elastic properties depended upon the pretensioning of the graft.

Epidural steroid injection in non-specific low backache.

Effect of epidural steroid injection has been studied in 107 cases (50 males and 57 females, mostly above 20 years of age) with non-specific low backache. Out of 42 cases with acute syndrome 20(47.6%) showed good response, 10(23.8%) showed fair response and 12(28.6%) showed poor response, whereas similar responses were found in 5(7.7%), 10(15.4%) and 50(76.9%) cases respectively among 65 cases of chronic syndrome (p less than 0.001). Agewise, 23(32.9%), 9(12.9%) and 38(54.2%) cases among 70 patients below 40 years of age and 2(5.4%), 11(29.8%) and 24 (69.8%) cases among 37 patients above 40 years of age showed good, fair and poor responses to epidural steroid respectively (p less than 0.001). Hence epidural steroid injection has been shown to be a useful adjunct to conservative treatment of low backache in young patients with acute syndrome.