A Quantitative Study of the Relationship between the Distribution of Different Types of Collagen and the Mechanical Behavior of Rabbit Medial Collateral Ligaments
Figure 5
Comparisons of the ratio of type I collagen (a), the ratio of type III collagen (b), and the Young's modulus in the linear region of the stress-strain curve (c) between the different age groups.
During the maturation of ligaments (i.e., from the 1.5-month-old group to the 12- to 13-month-old group), the ratio of type I collagen increased while the ratio of type III collagen decreased. Significant differences were found in the ratio of type I collagen between the 1.5-month-old group and the 6- to 7-month-old group, between the 1.5-month-old group and the 12- to 13-month-old group, and between the 4- to 5-month-old group and the 12- to 13-month-old group (P<0.05). The ratio of type III collagen in the 1.5-month-old group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). The Young's modulus in the linear region changed significantly between the 4- to 5-month-old group and the 12- to 13-month-old group as well as between the 1.5-month-old group and the other three groups (P<0.05). Mean±SD.