The reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament was studied in the rabbit using the medial third of the patellar tendon. Tritiated proline, 100 microCi/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.
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Amiel et al. (1986) studied this question.
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