Static and dynamic fatigue properties of carbon ligament prosthesis.

The aim of the present paper was to characterize the static and dynamic mechanical properties of carbon braids used in medicine as prostheses of ligaments and tendons. A computing system (PC software) was used to register and analyze the data of mechanical tests. Tensile static tests (creep testing) were utilized to determine the failure-free value of static force. Fatigue dynamic properties of carbon braids in tensile-tensile cyclic tests including the effect of simulated body conditions were analyzed. The braids were immersed in isotonic solution at 37 degrees C. Fatigue life was markedly lowered in air in comparison with simulated body conditions. For a given value of maximum cyclic force, decreasing the minimum/maximum force ratio decreased the number of cycles to failure. The mechanical approach of fatigue behavior based on approximately maximum fatigue force and number of cycles to failure by analytical expression was given. Energy dissipation due to the hysteresis loop was considered.