Tensile properties of the human acetabular labrum-the first report

The tensile stress-strain curves for the labrum assumed a sigmoid shape. The mean tensile stress at failure for all specimens was 8.8 ± 4.1 MPa. The mean strain at failure for all specimens was 48.5 ± 10.4%. The mean tensile modulus was 66.4 ± 42.2 MPa. Mean tensile stress at failure for specimens from males was greater than that of specimens from females. A significant difference was found in the maximum stress at failure among the three diagnosis-based groups: the other group withstood the highest stress before failure, whereas the osteoarthritis (OA) group withstood the lowest. No significant correlations with age or radiological characteristics were found for tensile stress, strain at failure, or tensile modulus. Our results suggest that labra obtained from male patients have stronger tensile stress than those from female patients, and that degenerative changes may influence the properties of the acetabular labrum.