Search results for "tendon"
showing 10 items of 240 documents
Viscoelastic properties of the Achilles tendon in vivo
2013
It has been postulated that human tendons are viscoelastic and their mechanical properties time-dependent. Although Achilles tendon (AT) mechanics are widely reported, there is no consensus about AT viscoelastic properties such as loading rate dependency or hysteresis, in vivo. AT force-elongation characteristics were determined from 14 subjects in an ankle dynamometer at different loading rates using motion capture assisted ultrasonography. AT stiffness and elongation were determined between 10 – 80% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force at fast and slow loading rates. As subjects were unable to consistently match the target unloading rate in the slow condition, AT hysteresis was on…
Behaviour of vastus lateralis muscle-tendon during high intensity SSC exercises in vivo
2003
Aims: The interaction between fascicle and tendinous tissue of human vastus lateralis muscle was investigated during varying intensity stretch–shortening cycle (SSC) jumps performed on a sledge apparatus. Methods: Eight subjects performed single leg squat (SJ) and drop jumps (DJ) from a constant dropping height but to different rebound heights. The fascicle length of the vastus lateralis muscle (VL) was determined from real-time ultrasonography during the movement. Tendon length changes were calculated by subtracting the horizontal part of the fascicle length from the muscle–tendon unit (MTU) length. Simultaneously, kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic data were recorded from leg musc…
Biomechanical Diagnosis and Rehabilitation Control of Pes Equinus Patiens by Computerized Motion Analysis
1985
If a foot is fixed in plantar flexion such as to inhibit a dorsal flexion beyond a rectangular position with reference to the lower leg the resulting syndrome is called pes equinus. These patients exhibit a characteristic gait with stance phases on tiptoe that may amount to a severe handicap for them. The pes equinus is a most common deformity found in patients with a hemiplegic or diplegic disorder in the region of the foot and the lower leg with typical structural changes in the ankle joint and the calf muscles. The therapy of the pes equinus depends on its etiology and its severity. A less severe pes equinus deformity can be treated by physical therapy and other conservative measures. Mo…
Does ankle joint power reflect type of muscle action of soleus and gastrocnemius during walking in cats and humans?
2013
The main objective of this paper is to highlight the difficulties of identifying shortening and lengthening contractions based on analysis of power produced by resultant joint moments. For that purpose, we present net ankle joint powers and muscle fascicle/muscle-tendon unit (MTU) velocities for medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SO) muscles during walking in species of different size (humans and cats). For the cat, patterns of ankle joint power and MTU velocity of MG and SO during stance were similar: negative power (ankle moment×angular velocity<0), indicating absorption of mechanical energy, was associated with MTU lengthening, and positive power (generation of mechanical energy) w…
Slower Walking Speed in Older Men Improves Triceps Surae Force Generation Ability
2016
Purpose \ud Older adults walk slower than young adults, but it is not known why. Previous research suggests that ankle plantarflexors may have a crucial role in the reduction of walking speed. The purpose of this study was to investigate age-related differences in triceps surae muscle–tendon function during walking to further investigate the role of plantarflexors in the age-related reduction of walking speed.\ud \ud Methods \ud Medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscle fascicle lengths were measured using ultrasound imaging during walking from 13 young (25 ± 4 yr) men at preferred walking speed and from 13 older (73 ± 5 yr) men at preferred speed and at the young men’s preferred speed. Muscle…
Muscle fascicle and tendon behavior during human locomotion revisited.
2008
High-speed ultrasonography has revealed that, in human locomotion, the nature of fascicle and tendon length changes varies depending on the task, contraction intensity, and the muscles involved. The findings emphasize that the active fascicles of the gastrocnemius muscle are suddenly stretched, although they are shortening. This short-lasting stretch triggers the stretch reflex, timing of which is dependent on running speed.
Muscle-Tendon Interaction During Human Dolphin-Kick Swimming
2019
Without high impact forces, it is not clear how humans can utilize tendon elasticity during low-impact activities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the muscle-tendon behavior together with the electromyographic (EMG) activities of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle during the human dolphin-kicking. In a swimming pool, each subject (n = 11) swam the 25 m dolphin-kicking at two different speeds (NORMAL and FAST). Surface EMGs were recorded from the VL and biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Simultaneous recordings of the knee joint angle by electro-goniometer and of the VL fascicle length by ultrasonography were used to calculate the muscle-tendon unit and tendinous length of VL (LMTU a…
Acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on the neuromuscular system
2019
Stretching is traditionally incorporated into pre-exercise routines in health, rehabilitation and sporting environments to condition the neuromuscular system for exercise. While a large body of evidence reported that stretching may acutely impair the subsequent muscular performance, some conflicting results highlight possible mitigating factors of neuromuscular responses variability. Because the limited data available do not present a clear consensus, the aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of different factors on neuromuscular responses to stretch: the muscle group, the stretch duration and modality. By means of four studies, it has been shown that static stretching may alter…
Optic fibre as a transducer of tendomuscular forces
1996
Direct in vivo tendon force measurements open up new possibilities for understanding of muscle-tendon loads during natural locomotion. The present report presents a new optic fibre method for such applications. The method is based on light intensity modulation by mechanical modification of the geometric properties of the optic fibre. A special optic fibre with a plastic covering buffer and with a total diameter of either 265 microns or 500 microns was carefully prepared at both ends for receiving and transmitting light. The fibre was inserted through the rabbit common calcaneal tendon with a 20 gauge needle. By removing the needle the optic fibre remained in situ. Static loading demonstrate…