Introduction. This review is intended to highlight and discuss discrepancies in the literature of the periodontal ligament�s (PDL)\nmechanical properties and the various experimental approaches used to measure them. Methods. Searches were performed\non biomechanical and orthodontic publications (in databases: Compendex, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and\nScopus). Results. The review revealed that significant variations exist, some on the order of six orders of magnitude, in the PDL�s\nelastic constants and mechanical properties. Possible explanations may be attributable to different experimental approaches and\nassumptions. Conclusions. The discrepancies highlight the need for further research into PDL properties under various clinical\nand experimental loading conditions. Better understanding of the PDL�s biomechanical behavior under physiologic and traumatic\nloading conditions might enhance the understanding of the PDL�s biologic reaction in health and disease. Providing a greater\ninsight into the response of the PDL would be instrumental to orthodontists and engineers for designing more predictable, and\ntherefore more efficacious, orthodontic appliances.
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