Lack of hormonal influences on mechanical properties of sheep knee ligaments.

BACKGROUND The number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes exceeds that in male athletes at similar competitive levels. This difference has been attributed by some authors to hormone-mediated alteration in knee laxity in women. HYPOTHESIS Sheep anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligament strength and stiffness are not altered by administration for 6 months of estrogen or a selective estrogen receptor agonist (raloxifene). STUDY DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. METHODS Thirty-eight mature ewes were divided into five groups: sham operation (N = 6), ovariectomy (N = 9), ovariectomy and estradiol implant (N = 7), low-dose raloxifene (N = 9), and high-dose raloxifene (N = 7). After 6 months, the animals were sacrificed and ligaments were tested along with those from five rams' knees. RESULTS No differences were found between treatment groups for maximum force, stiffness, energy to failure, or failure site. The ultimate stress of the rams' anterior cruciate ligaments was significantly higher than that of the ewes. CONCLUSIONS Estrogen and estrogen receptor agonists at physiologic levels do not lead to decreased knee ligament strength. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The female hormonal milieu may not be responsible for the increased incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in female athletes compared with their male counterparts.