Mechanical effect of rat flexor carpi ulnaris muscle after tendon transfer: does it generate a wrist extension moment?

Maas, Huub; Huijing, P.A.J.B.M.

doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01275.2011

Cited by 11 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In fact, it has been reported that changes in connective tissue layers between synergistic muscles are not equally expressed in passive and active states (Smeulders et al. 2002; Maas and Huijing 2012a; Bernabei et al. 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A lumped stiffness model of intermuscular and extramuscular myofascial pathways of force transmission

Bernabei

Maas

Dieën

2016

Biomech Model Mechanobiol

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Mechanical behavior of skeletal muscles is commonly modeled under the assumption of mechanical independence between individual muscles within a muscle group. Epimuscular myofascial force transmission via the connective tissue network surrounding a muscle challenges this assumption as it alters the force distributed to the tendons of individual muscles. This study aimed to derive a lumped estimate of stiffness of the intermuscular and extramuscular connective tissues and to assess changes in such stiffness in response to a manipulation of the interface between adjacent muscles. Based on in situ measurements of force transmission in the rat plantar flexors, before and after resection of their connective tissue network, a nonlinear estimate of epimuscular myofascial stiffness was quantified and included in a multi-muscle model with lumped parameters which allows for force transmission depending on the relative position between the muscles in the group. Such stiffness estimate was assessed for a group with normal intermuscular connective tissues and for a group with increased connectivity, mimicking scar tissue development. The model was able to successfully predict the amount of epimuscular force transmission for different experimental conditions than those used to obtain the model parameters. The proposed nonlinear stiffness estimates of epimuscular pathways could be integrated in larger musculoskeletal models, to provide more accurate predictions of force when effects of mechanical interaction or altered epimuscular connections, e.g. after surgery or injury, are substantial.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A lumped stiffness model of intermuscular and extramuscular myofascial pathways of force transmission

Bernabei

Maas

Dieën

2016

Biomech Model Mechanobiol

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“…Our observed relative displacements and the previously reported minimal mechanical interaction between submaximally activated muscles suggest that during level and upslope trotting, the extent of epimuscular force transmission between ankle plantar-flexors is not significant in healthy rats. This may change in pathological conditions of the musculoskeletal system, such as those caused by muscle injury and surgical interventions, for which enhanced mechanical interactions between muscles have been reported (Bernabei et al, 2016a;Maas and Huijing, 2012).…”

Section: Mechanical Consequences Of Displacements Between Neighboringmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal and transversal displacements between triceps surae muscles during locomotion of the rat

Bernabei

Dieën

Maas

2017

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The functional consequences of differential muscle activation and contractile behavior between mechanically coupled synergists are still poorly understood. Even though synergistic muscles exert similar mechanical effects at the joint they span, differences in the anatomy, morphology and neural drive may lead to non-uniform contractile conditions. This study aimed to investigate the patterns of activation and contractile behavior of triceps surae muscles, to understand how these contribute to the relative displacement between the one-joint soleus (SO) and two-joint lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscle bellies and their distal tendons during locomotion in the rat. In seven rats, muscle belly lengths and muscle activation during level and upslope trotting were measured by sonomicrometry crystals and electromyographic electrodes chronically implanted in the SO and LG. Length changes of muscle-tendon units (MTUs) and tendon fascicles were estimated based on joint kinematics and muscle belly lengths. Distances between implanted crystals were further used to assess longitudinal and transversal deformations of the intermuscular volume between the SO and LG. For both slope conditions, we observed differential timing of muscle activation as well as substantial differences in contraction speeds between muscle bellies (maximal relative speed 55.9 mm s −1 ). Muscle lengths and velocities did not differ significantly between level and upslope locomotion, only EMG amplitude of the LG was affected by slope. Relative displacements between SO and LG MTUs were found in both longitudinal and transversal directions, yielding an estimated maximal length change difference of 2.0 mm between their distal tendons. Such relative displacements may have implications for the force exchanged via intermuscular and intertendinous pathways.

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“…The palmar side of the right hand was tied to a small aluminum plate with 1–0 silk sutures. The right forelimb was secured rigidly to our custom-built apparatus to assess isometric wrist joint moments in the rat (Figure 1D, see also 26). The apparatus consists of a hand fixation unit, which is connected to a force transducer (Hottinger Baldwin, maximal output error <0.1%, compliance of 0.0048mmN -1 ) mounted on a single axis micropositioner.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly relevant, because scar tissue formation, frequently observed following invasive orthopedic surgeries [22,23], is reported to affect the mechanics of transferred as well as of neighboring muscles considerably [24–26]. In addition, several studies in human patients, as well as various animal models (e.g., rats, cats and monkeys) have shown that neural adjustments of motor patterns occur only partially, or do not occur at all [27–31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As there are severe limitations of studying tendon transfers in humans (e.g., it is not ethical to perform a second surgery for experimental measurements), we recently presented a rat model to study effects of transferring FCU muscle to the distal tendons of extensor carpi radialis brevis and longus muscles (ECR) [24–26]. As discussed in those papers, the model mimics important aspects of the human condition, such as scar tissue formation at the tendon and muscle belly boundaries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dissection of a Single Rat Muscle-Tendon Complex Changes Joint Moments Exerted by Neighboring Muscles: Implications for Invasive Surgical Interventions

2013

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The aim of this paper is to investigate mechanical functioning of a single skeletal muscle, active within a group of (previously) synergistic muscles. For this purpose, we assessed wrist angle-active moment characteristics exerted by a group of wrist flexion muscles in the rat for three conditions: (i) after resection of the upper arm skin; (ii) after subsequent distal tenotomy of flexor carpi ulnaris muscle (FCU); and (iii) after subsequent freeing of FCU distal tendon and muscle belly from surrounding tissues (MT dissection). Measurements were performed for a control group and for an experimental group after recovery (5 weeks) from tendon transfer of FCU to extensor carpi radialis (ECR) insertion. To assess if FCU tenotomy and MT dissection affects FCU contributions to wrist moments exclusively or also those of neighboring wrist flexion muscles, these data were compared to wrist angle-moment characteristics of selectively activated FCU. FCU tenotomy and MT dissection decreased wrist moments of the control group at all wrist angles tested, including also angles for which no or minimal wrist moments were measured when activating FCU exclusively. For the tendon transfer group, wrist flexion moment increased after FCU tenotomy, but to a greater extent than can be expected based on wrist extension moments exerted by selectively excited transferred FCU. We conclude that dissection of a single muscle in any surgical treatment does not only affect mechanical characteristics of the target muscle, but also those of other muscles within the same compartment. Our results demonstrate also that even after agonistic-to-antagonistic tendon transfer, mechanical interactions with previously synergistic muscles do remain present.

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Mechanical effect of rat flexor carpi ulnaris muscle after tendon transfer: does it generate a wrist extension moment?

Cited by 11 publications

References 35 publications

A lumped stiffness model of intermuscular and extramuscular myofascial pathways of force transmission

A lumped stiffness model of intermuscular and extramuscular myofascial pathways of force transmission

Longitudinal and transversal displacements between triceps surae muscles during locomotion of the rat

Dissection of a Single Rat Muscle-Tendon Complex Changes Joint Moments Exerted by Neighboring Muscles: Implications for Invasive Surgical Interventions

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