Contributions of Elastin to the Quasi-Static Tensile Mechanics of Medial Collateral Ligament

Elastin is a highly crosslinked, chemically stable protein that provides resilience to tissues, but its contribution to the mechanics of ligament is not fully understood. In highly extensible tissues like artery, heart valves and nuchal ligament that can consist of up to 75% elastin [8], disruption of the elastin network has been shown to decrease the stiffness and resilience in these tissues [2,10,11].