Table 4.

Patellar tendon mechanical properties: force-normalized comparison

	Deformation, mm	Stiffness, N/mm	Modulus, GPa	Stress, MPa	Strain, %	% of Maximal Force
All subjects at ∼1,650 N
Young (n = 11)	2.0±0.1	1,818±83	0.7±0.1	13.6±1.0	4.5±0.3	54.8±5.5
Old (n = 26)	2.1±0.1	1,929±109	0.8±0.1	14.8±0.6	4.6±0.2	76.7±6.6
Men (n = 22)	2.0±0.1	1,922±97	0.7±0.1	13.1±0.5*	4.2±0.2*	52.8±3.0
Women (n = 15)	2.2±0.1	1,858±142	0.8±0.1	16.5±0.8	5.1±0.2	95.7±8.3
Men at ∼3,014 N
YM (n = 6)	2.6±0.2	2,472±203	0.9±0.1	21.3±1.2	5.2±0.3	73.7±6.6
OM (n = 16)	2.6±0.2	2,656±194	1.0±0.1	24.7±1.2	5.5±0.3	105.5±6.1
Women at ∼1,650 N
YW (n = 5)	2.1±0.1	1,772±63	0.7±0.1	16.0±1.5	5.2±0.4	73.2±1.8
OW (n = 10)	2.2±0.1	1,902±214	0.8±0.1	16.7±0.9	5.1±0.3	107.5±10.6

Data are expressed as means ± SE; n = no. of subjects.

^*P < 0.05, men vs. women.