Biomechanical properties of common graft choices for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review.

Background: This systematic review explores the differences in the intrinsic biomechanical properties of different graft sources used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction as tested in a laboratory setting.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, two authors conducted a systematic review exploring the biomechanical properties of ACL graft sources (querying PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases). Using the keywords "anterior cruciate ligament graft," "biomechanics," and "biomechanical testing," relevant articles of any level of evidence were identified as eligible and included if they reported on the biomechanical properties of skeletally immature or mature ACL grafts solely and if the grafts were studied in vitro, in isolation, and under similar testing conditions.