Is There a Difference between Frozen Cadavers and Formalin Preserved Cadavers for Soft Tissue Fixation in ACL Reconstruction

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Shahbaz Malik, presenting from Perth, Western Australia, discusses a research study conducted at Pan Am Clinic and the University of Manitoba, focusing on the comparative analysis of fresh-frozen versus formalin-preserved cadavers for soft tissue fixation in ACL reconstruction. The study aims to establish whether these preservation methods affect the biomechanical properties of quadriceps tendon grafts, involving ten samples from each preservation method and utilizing a modified Prusik Knot for suture construction. Initial findings indicate that while formalin-preserved grafts demonstrate lower elongation and increased stiffness under stress compared to fresh-frozen grafts, both methods exhibit similar peak loads upon failure. The presentation concludes with a summary of the implications of these findings for future biomechanical studies, suggesting that while embalmed tissues may offer stiffer alternatives for load-to-failure tests, they are less suitable for assessing viscoelastic properties.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-221047

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