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Modeling of skeletal muscle: the influence of tendon and aponeuroses compliance on the force–length relationship

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of changing elastic properties of tendon and aponeuroses on force production and muscle geometry. A three-dimensional, structural, continuum mechanics model of the cat medial gastrocnemius was used for this purpose. Increasing compliance in tendon and aponeuroses caused a decrease in the peak isometric force and a shift of the force–length relationship to the right of the length axis (i.e. toward greater muscle lengths). This result can be explained with the stability condition of the force–length relationship which produced a history dependence of force production that is conceptually in agreement with experimental observations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by CAPES-Brazil, University of Caxias do Sul, FAPERGS, University of Calgary, NSERC of Canada, and The Canada Research Chair Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Caxias do Sul, Caixa Postal 1352, 95020-972, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil

    R. R. Lemos

  2. Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    M. Epstein

  3. Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    W. Herzog

Authors
  1. R. R. Lemos
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  2. M. Epstein
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  3. W. Herzog
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Correspondence to R. R. Lemos.

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Lemos, R.R., Epstein, M. & Herzog, W. Modeling of skeletal muscle: the influence of tendon and aponeuroses compliance on the force–length relationship. Med Bio Eng Comput 46, 23–32 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-007-0259-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-007-0259-x

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