0000000000460682
AUTHOR
J. Lukkariniemi
Achilles tendon loading during walking: application of a novel optic fiber technique.
An optic fiber (O 0.5 mm) was utilized for the study of Achilles tendon forces (ATF) in eight volunteers who walked over a 10 m force platform at three speeds (1.1 ± 0.1 m × s−1, 1.5 ± 0.1 m × s−1 and 1.8 ± 0.2 m × s−1). The presented ATF-time curves showed great intersubject variation in magnitudes of the sudden release of force after initial contact and in the peak ATF's (1430 ± 500 N). This intersubject variation in the peak force decreased only by 4% when cross-sectional area of the tendon was considered. Measured ground reaction forces and plantar pressures confirmed that the subjects walked quite normally during recordings. The peak ATF was found to be rather insensitive to speed in c…
Individual muscle contributions to the in vivo achilles tendon force
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the possibility of non-uniform stress within the achilles tendon due to individual force contributions of the triceps surae. DESIGN: Calculation of non-uniform stress through discrepancies in moments about the ankle joint. BACKGROUND: Non-uniform stress over the cross-sectional area have been implied in the etiology of achilles tendon injury and may influence functional aspects. However, this has not been empirically demonstrated. METHODS: In vivo achilles tendon forces were measured with an optic fibre technique during isometric plantarflexions at systematically varied knee angles and contraction intensities. A comparison to the plantar force measured underneath the…