Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

The brief review is concerned with synthetic model tendons consisting of water-swollen hydrogel matrix and poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibres. Texturized fibres were employed in tendon construction in order to imitate stress-strain and other mechanical properties of natural tendons. Stiffness, creep behaviour, strength, and elongation-at-break of model tendons are predetermined by those of incorporated fibre bundles. Thus, by varying the fibre volume fraction, it is possible to achieve mechanical properties required for various types of tendon prostheses.