Muscle stiffness at different force levels measured with two myotonometric devices

Myotonometric measurements are quantitative methods of muscle tone assessment and may be used as an alternative for palpation evaluation. The objective of the study was to compare the measurements of brachioradialis muscle tone and stiffness using the Myoton-3 and the Myotonometer. The participants were young males (N = 17, mean age 21 ± 1 years). The skeletal muscle state was expressed by the Myoton-3 parameters stiffness (N m(-1)), frequency (Hz) and decrement (no unit) and the Myotonometer's area under the curve (AUC) parameter (area under the curve, no unit), when muscle was at rest and during activity at 25%, 50%, 80% and 100% of maximal voluntary contraction for elbow flexors. Pearson's correlation between AUC and stiffness is r = -0.89, AUC and frequency r = -0.84 and AUC and decrement r = 0.79, p < 0.01. When comparing the results from each experimental condition separately for frequency and AUC, the correlation was from -0.63 to -0.80, for stiffness and AUC it ranged from -0.25 to -0.75 and for decrement and AUC from 0.27 to 0.74. The degree of correlation between myotonometric measurements depends on whether the measured muscle is at rest or during contraction. The correlation is diverse among related parameters.