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Human plantarflexor stiffness to multiple single-stretch trials.

P Blanpied1, G L Smidt

  • 1Program in Physical Therapy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02882.

Journal of Biomechanics
|January 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Human plantarflexor muscle stiffness is largely consistent across various stretch conditions. Intrinsic muscle stiffness showed minimal variation with stretch velocity or pre-stretch muscle length, indicating a stereotypical response.

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Human Physiology
  • Muscle Mechanics

Background:

  • Understanding intrinsic muscle stiffness is crucial for analyzing human movement and injury prevention.
  • Previous studies have explored muscle stiffness using various mechanical inputs, yielding diverse results.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of stretch velocity, pre-stretch force development rate, and pre-stretch muscle length on active human plantarflexor intrinsic stiffness.
  • To compare stiffness measurements from single-stretch trials with previous findings.

Main Methods:

  • Subjects performed isometric plantarflexion contractions (20-60% max) followed by rapid 0.2 rad dorsiflexion stretches.
  • Plantarflexion forces and ankle positions were recorded during active and passive (resting) stretches.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Muscle stiffness was calculated from the torque-displacement relationship during the initial 62 ms of stretch, after subtracting passive forces.

    • Main Results:

    • The slope of the stiffness vs. pre-stretch torque relationship averaged 4.30 ± 0.34 Nm/rad/(Nm).
    • Stiffness measurements were comparable to previous studies using different mechanical inputs.
    • Observed differences in stiffness with varying stretch velocities were attributed to computational artifacts, not intrinsic muscle responses.
    • Faster pre-stretch force development led to slightly lower stiffness values.
    • Pre-stretch muscle length did not appear to significantly alter intrinsic stiffness.

    Conclusions:

    • Human plantarflexor intrinsic stiffness exhibits a stereotypical torque-displacement curve, largely insensitive to tested variations in stretch velocity and pre-stretch muscle length.
    • The single-stretch method provides reliable intrinsic stiffness measures comparable to other techniques.
    • Computational artifacts can influence stiffness calculations, emphasizing the need for careful methodology.