Search results for "jänteet"
showing 10 items of 26 documents
The reliability of measuring medial gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit lengths during gait
2021
Background Ultrasound imaging combined with 3D motion analysis allows for in-vivo assessment of muscle-tendon unit lengths during gait. The clinical relevance of analysing the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and Achilles muscle-tendon junction (MTJ), MG mid-muscle belly fascicles (FAS) and muscle thickness was shown. However, their reliability error estimations over the gait cycle is unknown. Research question What are the intra- and inter-session errors associated with extracting MG belly, thickness, FAS and tendon lengths using ultrasound during gait in healthy participants? Methods 3D gait analysis was carried out in ten healthy adults as they walked on an instrumented treadmill at a comfortab…
Effects of muscle action type on corticospinal excitability and triceps surae muscle-tendon mechanics
2014
The present study was designed to investigate corticospinal excitability modulation during maximum isometric and eccentric muscle actions with two different velocities. Moreover, the study aimed to clarify the effect of muscle action type on muscle-tendon mechanical behavior in order to shed light into the possible role of sensory information in modulating corticospinal excitability during different muscle actions. We compared motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to transcranial magnetic stimulation and Hoffman reflexes (H-reflex) in soleus muscle during isometric, slow eccentric (25 deg/s) and fast eccentric (100 deg/s) muscle actions. Concomitantly, ultrasonography was utilized to access soleus…
Neuromuscular mechanics and hopping training in elderly.
2014
Purpose The present study examined the effects of repetitive hopping training on muscle activation profiles and fascicle–tendon interaction in the elderly. Methods 20 physically active elderly men were randomly assigned for training (TG) and control groups (CG). TG performed supervised bilateral short contact hopping training with progressively increasing training volume. Measurements were performed before the training period (BEF) as well as after 2 weeks (2 W) and 11 weeks (11 W) of training. During measurements, the gastrocnemius medialis–muscle (GaM) fascicle and its outer Achilles tendon length changes during hopping were examined by ultrasonography together with electromyographic (EMG…
In vivo localized gastrocnemius subtendon representation within the healthy and ruptured human Achilles tendon
2022
The Achilles tendon (AT) is composed of three distinct in-series elastic subtendons, arising from different muscles in the triceps surae. Independent activation of any of these muscles is thought to induce sliding between the adjacent AT subtendons. We aimed to investigate displacement patterns during voluntary contraction (VOL) and selective transcutaneous stimulation of medial (MGstim) and lateral (LGstim) gastrocnemius between ruptured and healthy tendons, and to examine the representative areas of AT subtendons. Twenty-eight patients with unilateral AT rupture performed bilateral VOL at 30% of the maximal isometric un-injured plantarflexion torque. AT displacement was analysed from sagi…
Repeatability and sensitivity of passive mechanical stiffness measurements in the triceps surae muscle‐tendon complex
2021
Measurements of muscle-tendon unit passive mechanical properties are often used to illustrate acute and chronic responses to a training stimulus. The purpose of this study was to quantify the inter-session repeatability of triceps surae passive stiffness measurements in athletic and non-athletic populations, with the view to discussing its usefulness both as a muscle-tendon profiling tool and a control measure for studies with multiple data collection sessions. The study also aimed to observe the effects of quiet standing on passive stiffness parameters. Twenty-nine men (10 cyclists, nine triathletes, 10 controls) visited the laboratory on three separate occasions, where passive stiffness t…
The effectiveness of 12 months' intensive shoulder strength training on disability, health-related quality of life and shoulder function after rotato…
2017
This study examined the effectiveness of intensive shoulder strength training on disability, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and shoulder function in patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair (RCR). In addition, the self- report section of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Assessment Form (ASES) was cross-culturally adapted to the Finnish language and the psychometric properties of the Finnish version were assessed. Patients with a rotator cuff tear (aged 41-62 years) were randomized into an exercise group (EG, n=35) or a usual care group (UCG, n=32) after RCR. Disability was assessed with ASES questionnaire and quality of life with Short- Form 36 Health Surv…
Towards modern understanding of the Achilles tendon properties in human movement research
2023
The Achilles tendon (AT) is the strongest tendon in humans, yet it often suffers from injury. The mechanical properties of the AT afford efficient movement, power amplification and power attenuation during locomotor tasks. The properties and the unique structure of the AT as a common tendon for three muscles have been studied frequently in humans using in vivo methods since 1990's. As a part of the celebration of 50 years history of the International Society of Biomechanics, this paper reviews the history of the AT research focusing on its mechanical properties in humans. The questions addressed are: What are the most important mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon, how are they stud…
Non-uniformity of displacement and strain within the Achilles tendon is affected by joint angle configuration and differential muscle loading.
2020
Although the Achilles tendon (AT) has been studied for more than a century, a complete understanding of the mechanical and functional consequences of AT structural organization is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to assess how joint angle configuration affects subtendon displacement and strain of soleus (SOL) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. Knots sutured onto SOL and LG subtendons of 12 Wistar rats, were videotaped to quantify displacements and the ankle torque was assessed for different isometric activation conditions (i.e., individual and simultaneous) of the triceps surae muscles. Changing ankle and knee joint angle affected the magnitude of displacement, relative dis…
Mechanical Coupling Between Muscle-Tendon Units Reduces Peak Stresses
2017
The presence of mechanical linkages between synergistic muscles and their common tendons may distribute forces among the involved structures. We review studies, using humans and other animals, examining muscle and tendon interactions and discuss the hypothesis that connections between muscle bellies and within tendons may serve as a mechanism to distribute forces and mitigate peak stresses. peerReviewed