Nutrition of cruciate ligament reconstruction by diffusion: Collagen synthesis studied in rabbits

The reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament was studied in the rabbit using the medial third of the patellar tendon. Tritiated proline, 100 μCi/kg body weight, was injected intra-articularly to insure detection of the metabolic conversion product ³H-hydroxyproline in the avascular graft. During the immediate postoperative period, nutrients were found to derive from the synovial fluid through a process of diffusion, demonstrating that synovial nutrition occurs prior to revascularization of the graft.