Muscle thickness and pennation angle of the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior in spastic diplegia versus typically developing children

Physiotherapy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. e739
Author(s):  
K. O’Neill ◽  
A. Lyons ◽  
L. Larkin ◽  
G. Kelly
2021 ◽  
Vol 90 ◽  
pp. 302-303
Author(s):  
F. Walhain ◽  
M. Declerck ◽  
R. Chin A Fat ◽  
N. Peeters ◽  
B. Hanssen ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2091-2096
Author(s):  
Chenghui Lin ◽  
Shudong Li ◽  
Yining Lu ◽  
Huw Wiltshire

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in lower extremity muscle morphology and electromyography (EMG) signals during treadmill running (TR) and plastic track running (PR). Methods: A total of 10 healthy male runners aged 22.5±1.3 years, height: 175.5±4.5 cm; weight: 71.9±2.7 kg; BMI: 22.1±1.1 volunteered to participate in this study. Muscle morphology data were collected by a portable ultrasound scanner before and after running. Median frequency (MF), mean power frequency (MPF) and root mean square (RMS) were monitored during TR and PR. Results: The results indicated that muscle thickness and pennation angle have increased after running. The muscle thickness after PR showed significantly higher than TR in tested muscle except tibialis anterior (TA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG). In contrast, only the pennation angle of TA and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) after PR was significantly different from that after TR (P <0.001, P = 0.002). The most significant difference in the change rate of muscle thickness was found at TA. In addition, TA and MG showed significantly higher change rate of the pennation angle after TR than that after PR. Both of MF and MPF showed a downward trend after TR and PR. It could discover that the MF and MPF of LG during TR showed a significantly lower than that during PR both in two phases (P =0.001, P <0.001). However, in the last 5 minutes, MF and MPF of MQ during PR were smaller than that during PR (P = 0.001, P = 0.015). Furthermore, MF of RF during TR showed significantly different from that during PR (P = 0.017). From the point of RMS, in the first five minutes, the RMS of medical quadriceps (MQ), lateral quadriceps (LQ), hamstring muscles (HM) and MG during TR was significantly higher than that of PR (P <0.05). In addition, the RMS of all tested muscles after TR was significantly higher than after PR during the last 5 minutes (P <0.05). Conclusions: The current study indicated that TR and PR would cause different effects to lower extremity muscle morphology. In addition, the EMG signals based on running surfaces are also unconformity. Compared with the plastic track, the treadmill will bring more stimulation to the lower extremity muscles. The preliminary findings provide further insights into the rationality of runners’ choice of the running surface.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1053-1059
Author(s):  
Diego Alonso-Fernandez ◽  
Yaiza Taboada-Iglesias ◽  
Tania García-Remeseiro ◽  
Águeda Gutiérrez-Sánchez

Context: The architectural characteristics of a muscle determine its function. Objective: To determine the architectural adaptations of the lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles after a functional eccentric strength training protocol consisting of heel drop exercises, followed by a subsequent detraining period. Design: Pretest and posttest. Setting: Training rooms and laboratory. Participants: The participants (N = 45) who were randomly divided into an experimental group (EG, n = 25) and a control group (CG, n = 20). Interventions: The 13-week intervention included participants (N = 45) who were randomly divided into an EG (n = 25) and a CG (n = 20). The EG performed a week of control and training, 8 weeks of eccentric training, and 4 weeks of detraining. The CG did not perform any type of muscular training. The architectural characteristics of the LG and MG muscles were evaluated at rest in both groups using 2-D ultrasound before (pretest–week 1) and after (posttest–week 9) the training, and at the end of the detraining period (retest–week 13). Main Outcome Measures: One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine training-induced changes in each of the variables of the muscle architecture. Results: After the training period, the members of the EG experienced a significant increase in the fascicle length of LG (t = −9.85, d = 2.78, P < .001) and MG (t = −8.98, d = 2.54, P < .001), muscle thickness (t = −6.71, d = 2.86, P < .001) and (t = −7.85, d = 2.22, P < .001), and the pennation angle (t = −10.21, d = 1.88, P < .05) and (t = −1.87, d = 0.53, P < .05), respectively. After the detraining period, fascicle length, muscle thickness, and pennation angle showed a significant decrease. In the CG, no significant changes were observed in any of the variables. Conclusions: The heel drop exercise seems to generate adaptations in the architectural conditions of LG and MG, which are also reversible after a detraining period. These results may have practical implications for injury prevention and rehabilitation programs.


2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadashi Muramatsu ◽  
Tetsuro Muraoka ◽  
Yasuo Kawakami ◽  
Akira Shibayama ◽  
Tetsuo Fukunaga

Fascicle curvature of human medial gastrocnemius muscle (MG) was determined in vivo by ultrasonography during isometric contractions at three (distal, central, and proximal) locations ( n = 7) and at three ankle angles ( n = 7). The curvature significantly ( P < 0.05) increased from rest to maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) (0.4–5.2 m−1). In addition, the curvature at MVC became larger in the order dorsiflexed, neutral, plantar flexed ( P < 0.05). Thus both contraction levels and muscle length affected the curvature. Intramuscular differences in neither the curvature nor the fascicle length were found. The direction of curving was consistent along the muscle: fascicles were concave in the proximal side. Fascicle length estimated from the pennation angle and muscle thickness, under the assumption that the fascicle was straight, was underestimated by ∼6%. In addition, the curvature was significantly correlated to pennation angle and muscle thickness. These findings are particularly important for understanding the mechanical functions of human skeletal muscle in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ho Joong Jung ◽  
Yong Min Lee ◽  
Minsun Kim ◽  
Kyeong Eun Uhm ◽  
Jongmin Lee

Objective To investigate variables for assessment of stroke-related sarcopenia that are alternative options to the current assessment for sarcopenia, which focuses on age-related sarcopenia and also has limitations in addressing sarcopenia due to weakness resulting from stroke.Methods Forty patients (17 men, 23 women; mean age, 66.9±15.4 years) with first-ever stroke who can walk independently were included. Muscle mass was determined by measuring ultrasonographic muscle thickness of vastus intermedius, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, and biceps brachii muscles in addition to using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) with bioelectrical impedance analysis. Muscle strength was assessed with the Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score as well as handgrip (HG) strength. Physical performance was measured by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) along with 4-meter gait speed (4MGS). Correlations between each assessment in the three categories were analyzed and adjusted by stroke severity, comorbidity, and nutritional status.Results For muscle mass, SMI showed the highest correlation with the tibialis anterior muscle (r=0.783, p<0.001) among the other muscles. Regarding muscle strength, the MRC sum score correlated with the HG (r=0.660, p<0.001). For physical performance, the BBS correlated with the 4MGS (r=0.834, p<0.001). The same result was obtained after adjusting for factors of stroke severity, comorbidity, and nutritional status.Conclusion These results suggest that ultrasonographic muscle thickness of the tibialis anterior, the MRC sum score, and BBS might be alternatives to SMI, HG, and usual gait speed for sarcopenia in stroke patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 123 (6) ◽  
pp. 1433-1442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor J. M. Dick ◽  
James M. Wakeling

When muscles contract, they bulge in thickness or in width to maintain a (nearly) constant volume. These dynamic shape changes are tightly linked to the internal constraints placed on individual muscle fibers and play a key functional role in modulating the mechanical performance of skeletal muscle by increasing its range of operating velocities. Yet to date we have a limited understanding of the nature and functional implications of in vivo dynamic muscle shape change under submaximal conditions. This study determined how the in vivo changes in medial gastrocnemius (MG) fascicle velocity, pennation angle, muscle thickness, and subsequent muscle gearing varied as a function of force and velocity. To do this, we obtained recordings of MG tendon length, fascicle length, pennation angle, and thickness using B-mode ultrasound and muscle activation using surface electromyography during cycling at a range of cadences and loads. We found that that increases in contractile force were accompanied by reduced bulging in muscle thickness, reduced increases in pennation angle, and faster fascicle shortening. Although the force and velocity of a muscle contraction are inversely related due to the force-velocity effect, this study has shown how dynamic muscle shape changes are influenced by force and not influenced by velocity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY During movement, skeletal muscles contract and bulge in thickness or width. These shape changes play a key role in modulating the performance of skeletal muscle by increasing its range of operating velocities. Yet to date the underlying mechanisms associated with muscle shape change remain largely unexplored. This study identified muscle force, and not velocity, as the mechanistic driving factor to allow for muscle gearing to vary depending on the contractile conditions during human cycling.


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