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Muscle and tendon stiffness assessment using the alpha method and ultrafast ultrasound

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The alpha method enables the dissociation of the passive (i.e., tendinous tissues) and active (i.e., fascicles) part of muscle–tendon stiffness. It is based on two main assumptions (i.e., a constant tendon stiffness and a muscle stiffness proportional to the torque produced), which have not been approved in vivo. The purpose of this study was to validate these two assumptions using ultrafast ultrasound, and to compare fascicle and tendon stiffness as determined by both methods.

Methods

Ten healthy males performed a fast-stretch experiment on the ankle plantar flexors. The mathematical model of the alpha method allowed to estimate the stiffness of muscle and tendinous tissues on the basis of the assumptions associated to the behaviors of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues. Muscle and tendon stiffness of the gastrocnemius medialis were also calculated from ultrafast ultrasound measurements.

Results

Muscle stiffness measured by the ultrasound method increased from 217 ± 83 to 720 ± 265 N/mm with an increasing level of force (from 30 to 90 % MVC). Tendinous stiffness measured by the ultrasound method remained constant across the force level (P < 0.001). However, the stiffness values obtained with both methods were significantly different (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In conclusion, these findings validate the two main assumptions underlying the alpha method using ultrasound. Differences in stiffness values obtained with alpha and ultrasound methods could be associated with physiological and geometrical differences between the whole plantar flexors muscles characterized by the alpha method and the gastrocnemius medialis assessed with the ultrasound method.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

L fh :

Horizontal fascicle length

MVC:

Maximal voluntary contraction

S :

Muscle-tendon stiffness

SEC:

Series elastic component

S muscle :

Muscle stiffness

S tendon :

Tendinous stiffness

ΔF :

Change in force

ΔL :

Muscle-tendon unit length change

ΔL fh :

Horizontal fascicle length change

ΔL tt :

Tendinous tissues length change

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Conflict of interest

No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the author(s).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory “Movement, Interactions, Performance” (EA 4334), University of Nantes, UFR STAPS, 25 bis boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France

    Hugo Hauraix, Alexandre Fouré, Sylvain Dorel, Christophe Cornu & Antoine Nordez

  2. Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, CRMBM UMR CNRS 7339, Marseille, France

    Alexandre Fouré

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  1. Hugo Hauraix
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  2. Alexandre Fouré
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  3. Sylvain Dorel
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  4. Christophe Cornu
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  5. Antoine Nordez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sylvain Dorel.

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Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Hauraix, H., Fouré, A., Dorel, S. et al. Muscle and tendon stiffness assessment using the alpha method and ultrafast ultrasound. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1393–1400 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3112-1

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