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Related Concept Videos

Muscles that Move the Leg01:23

Muscles that Move the Leg

The movement of the legs is facilitated by numerous muscles located within the anterior, medial, and posterior compartments of the thigh.
Anterior Compartment
The quadriceps femoris, the most visible muscle of the anterior compartment, is integral for leg extension and thigh flexion. It is formed by merging four distinct muscles — the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. The quadriceps tendon, a shared tendon of the four quadriceps muscles, is affixed to...
Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles01:20

Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Skeletal Muscles

Excitation-contraction coupling is a series of events that occur between generating an action potential and initiating a muscle contraction. It occurs at the triad, a structure found in skeletal muscle fibers that comprise a T-tubule and terminal cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum on each side. These triads are visible in longitudinally sectioned muscle fibers. They are typically located at the A-I junction — the junction between the A and I bands of the sarcomere.
When an action potential...
Isotonic and Isometric Muscle Contractions01:22

Isotonic and Isometric Muscle Contractions

Two primary types of muscle contractions are isotonic and isometric, each serving unique functions and involving distinct mechanisms. Both isotonic and isometric contractions are integral to the body's complex system of movement and stability. Isotonic exercises contribute significantly to functional strength and movement, while isometric contractions are crucial for maintaining posture and joint stability.
Isotonic contractions
Isotonic contractions occur when a muscle changes length while the...
Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction01:16

Actin and Myosin in Muscle Contraction

Actin and myosin are contractile proteins that form the sarcomere found in skeletal muscle tissues for regulating muscle contraction. Actin, a globular contractile protein, interacts with myosin for muscle contraction. The skeletal tissue appears striped or striated under a microscope due to the repeated arrangement of contractile proteins actin and myosin along the length of myofibrils. Dark A bands and light I bands repeat along myofibrils, and the alignment of myofibrils in the cell causes...
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Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
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Muscles of the Leg that Move the Foot and Toes

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Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects
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Forelimb muscle activity during equine locomotion.

Simon M Harrison1, R Chris Whitton, Melissa King

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia. Simon.Harrison@csiro.au

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|August 10, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Equine forelimb muscles, particularly smaller distal ones, activate before hoof-strike to stabilize joints. Muscle activity increases with speed but isn't proportional to torque, suggesting passive structures also contribute to limb support.

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Area of Science:

  • Equine biomechanics
  • Locomotor system physiology
  • Animal locomotion analysis

Background:

  • Limited quantitative data on equine forelimb distal muscle activity during locomotion.
  • Incomplete understanding of functional roles of many forelimb muscles.
  • Morphology suggests proximal muscles perform major work, distal muscles stabilize joints.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure timing and amplitude of electromyographic activity in intrinsic equine forelimb muscles.
  • To correlate muscle activity with gait phase (stance/swing) and joint torque demands.
  • To investigate muscle roles during walking, trotting, and cantering.

Main Methods:

  • Electromyography (EMG) of intrinsic forelimb muscles.
  • Analysis of muscle activity relative to gait phases (stance vs. swing).
  • Correlation of muscle activation with net joint torques across different gaits.

Main Results:

  • Most forelimb muscles activated pre-hoof-strike and deactivated during stance; extensor carpi radialis (ECR) activated during swing.
  • Muscle activation amplitudes generally increased with gait speed.
  • Muscle activation amplitudes were not proportional to net joint torques, suggesting passive structure involvement.

Conclusions:

  • Distal forelimb muscles likely stabilize the limb in early stance, preparing passive structures (tendons, ligaments).
  • Distal muscles remain active throughout stance only during canter, when joint torques are highest.
  • Proximal muscles coordinate to position and stabilize shoulder and elbow joints during ground contact.