Below is Figure 5 from the Freeman paper:

Fig. 5. The free body diagram use to calculate the forces placed on the braids.

1) In the paper, the authors perform a calculation for the value of force B, the force
exerted on the braid as a result of the tensile forces pulling on either side. B is the force
that prevents the strand in the braid from becoming completely straight when under
tension.
a. Show how the value of force B is = 2sin.
b. Explain why decreasing the angle of braiding () made it such that the braid fails
under a lower tensile load.
Decreasing the angle of braiding causes failure to happen at lower T because it
causes an increase in the angle , which then means an increase in B. B is applied
directly where fibers in the braid are changing directions and have a weak point, thus
increasing B decreased the UTS of the braid.
2) Level of Certainty Questions
a. In order to successfully replace and regenerate new ACL tissue, a graft must be
able to induce cell adhesion and proliferation, sponsor tissue growth, and display
mechanical behavior comparable to the native ACL tissue.

b. If the flexibility of the yarns was included it might serve to dampen the
compressive force B, but this force may also produce creep at contact points
between yarns, ultimately creating another mode of failure.

c. This new scaffold has shown the potential to mimic the biomechanical behavior
of the ACL. After further refinement, it is believed that this type of scaffold could
be used to produce tissue-engineered scaffolds for successful ACL regeneration.

Freeman, Joseph W., Mia D. Woods, and Cato T. Laurencin. "Tissue Engineering of the Anterior Cruciate
Ligament Using a Braid-twist Scaffold Design." Journal of Biomechanics 40 (2007): 2029-036. Web.