Abstract:Eighteen horn attachments of canine knee menisci were tested under tensile loading until failure, in a parallel direction to the tibial plateaus,at two different rates reproducing quasi-static and dynamic conditions.Ultimate loads,stresses,strains and Young moduli were detemined and failure mode was idontified for each specimen.An average of 552 Newtons of tensile loading was withstood by the attachments.Means ultimate stress and strain were respectively of 51 MPa and 41/00.As they are higher than rupture parameters of the meniscus itself,it is normal that no attachments'failure occurs in vivo.Functionality of future meniscal prostheses requires this kind of fixation with a similar strength.Sighificantly lower ultimate stress and tendency to avulsion failure were observed at quasi-static.strain rate compared to results at dynamic rate.This shows the importance of reproducing physilolgical conditions in in vitro tests.