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Myofascial force transmission in dynamic muscle conditions: effects of dynamic shortening of a single head of multi-tendoned rat extensor digitorum longus muscle

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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of myofascial force transmission during dynamic shortening of head III of rat extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL III). The anterior crural compartment was left intact. Force was measured simultaneously at the distal EDL III tendon, the proximal EDL tendon and the distal tendons of tibialis anterior and extensor hallucis longus muscles (TA+EHL). Two types of distal shortening of EDL III were studied: (1) sinusoidal shortening (2 mm) and (2) isokinetic shortening (8 mm). Sinusoidal shortening of EDL III caused a decrease in force exerted at the distal tendon of EDL III: from 0.58 (0.08) N to 0.26 (0.04) N. In contrast, hardly any changes in proximal EDL force and distal TA+EHL force were found. Maximal concentric force exerted at the distal tendon of EDL III was higher than maximal isometric force expected on the basis of the physiological cross-sectional area of EDL III muscle fibers (Maas et al. 2003). Therefore, a substantial fraction of this force must originate from sources other than muscle fibers of EDL III. Isokinetic shortening of EDL III caused high changes in EDL III force from 0.97 (0.15) N to zero. In contrast, changes in proximal EDL force were much smaller: from 2.44 (0.25) N to 1.99 (0.19) N. No effects on TA+EHL force could be shown. These results are explained in terms of force transmission between the muscle belly of EDL III and adjacent tissues. Thus, also in dynamic muscle conditions, muscle fiber force is transmitted via myofascial pathways.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the valuable comments of Professor Jaap H. van Dieën on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Physiology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 281 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0356, USA

    Huub Maas

  2. Instituut voor Fundamentele en Klinische Bewegingswetenschappen, Faculteit Bewegingswetenschappen, Vrije Universiteit, van der Boechorststraat 9, 1081, BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Huub Maas & Peter A. Huijing

  3. Integrated Biomedical Engineering for Restoration of Human Function, Instituut voor Biomedische Technologie, Faculteit Constructieve Technische Wetenschappen, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Peter A. Huijing

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  1. Huub Maas
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Correspondence to Peter A. Huijing.

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Maas, H., Huijing, P.A. Myofascial force transmission in dynamic muscle conditions: effects of dynamic shortening of a single head of multi-tendoned rat extensor digitorum longus muscle. Eur J Appl Physiol 94, 584–592 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-005-1367-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-005-1367-7

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