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White-Tailed Deer as an Ex Vivo Knee Model: Joint Morphometry and ACL Rupture Strength

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Abstract

Animal joints are valuable proxies for those of humans in biomechanical studies, however commonly used quadruped knees differ greatly from human knees in scale and morphometry. To test the suitability of the cervine stifle joint (deer knee) as a laboratory model, gross morphometry, ACL cross section, and ACL rupture strength were measured and compared to values previously reported for the knees of humans and commonly studied animals. Twelve knee joints from wild white-tailed deer were tested. Several morphometry parameters, including bicondylar width (53.5 ± 3.0 mm) and notch width (14.7 ± 2.5 mm), showed a high degree of similarity to those of the human knee, while both medial (16.7 ± 2.1°) and lateral (17.6 ± 4.7°) tibial slopes were steeper than in humans but less steep than other quadrupeds. The median ACL rupture force (2054 N, 95% CI 2017–2256 N), mean stiffness (260 ± 166 N/mm), mean length (33 ± 7 mm), and mean cross sectional area (44.8 ± 18.3 mm2) were also comparable to previously reported values for human knees. In our limited sample size, no significant sexual dimorphism in strength or morphometry was observed (p ≥ 0.05 for all parameters), though female specimens generally had steeper tibial slopes (lateral: p = 0.52, medial: p = 0.07). Our results suggest that the deer knee may be a suitable model for ex vivo studies of ACL rupture and repair.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by the Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering at Clarkson University. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave., Box 5725, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA

    Nicole L. Zaino, Mark J. Hedgeland, Laurel Kuxhaus & Arthur J. Michalek

  2. Department of Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University, Potsdam, USA

    Mario J. Ciani

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sharon Hospital, Sharon, USA

    Alexander Martin Clark

Authors
  1. Nicole L. Zaino
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  2. Mark J. Hedgeland
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Correspondence to Arthur J. Michalek.

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Associate Editor Sean S. Kohles oversaw the review of this article.

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Zaino, N.L., Hedgeland, M.J., Ciani, M.J. et al. White-Tailed Deer as an Ex Vivo Knee Model: Joint Morphometry and ACL Rupture Strength. Ann Biomed Eng 45, 1093–1100 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-016-1746-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-016-1746-8

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