📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction depends critically on graft-to-bone healing and fixation integrity in the early post-operative period. The choice between bioresorbable and titanium interference screws influences graft incorporation biology, tunnel widening, and long-term clinical outcomes. This translational research study combines biomechanical laboratory testing with histological analysis and a prospective clinical cohort to compare bioresorbable and titanium interference screw performance in ACL graft fixation using specimens and participants drawn from a Nigerian population biobank established at University College Hospital, Ibadan, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South East Nigeria. In vitro mechanical testing on cadaveric knee specimens will assess pullout strength, cyclic loading resistance, and tunnel aperture morphology. Histological analysis at six weeks will examine tunnel interface remodelling, inflammatory response, and bone-graft integration using haematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical staining. The clinical cohort will enrol 80 ACL reconstruction patients across both fixation types and assess graft maturity by MRI at twelve months and functional outcomes using IKDC and KOOS at six and twelve months. The study hypothesises that bioresorbable screws produce comparable initial fixation strength but superior bone-graft integration at six weeks. This research generates original biomechanical and histological data on ACL fixation biology in a Nigerian population, contributing a new theoretical framework for understanding graft healing in tropical African physiology. Keywords: ACL reconstruction, interference screws, biomechanics, graft healing, translational research.
Need Complete Chapters of the Above Topic?
Get high-quality, Zero-AI research materials with current citations.
Request via WhatsApp 💬