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Muscle and tendon stiffness assessment using the alpha method and ultrafast ultrasound

Hugo Hauraix Alexandre Foure 1 Sylvain Dorel 2 Christophe Cornu 2 Antoine Nordez 3
1 CRMBM - Centre de résonance magnétique biologique et médicale
2 MIP - Motricité, interactions, performance EA 4334
3 Laboratoire Motricité, Interactions, Performance
Abstract : The alpha method enables the dissociation of the passive (i.e., tendinous tissues) and active (i.e., fascicles) part of muscle-tendon stiffness. It is based on two main assumptions (i.e., a constant tendon stiffness and a muscle stiffness proportional to the torque produced), which have not been approved in vivo. The purpose of this study was to validate these two assumptions using ultrafast ultrasound, and to compare fascicle and tendon stiffness as determined by both methods. Ten healthy males performed a fast-stretch experiment on the ankle plantar flexors. The mathematical model of the alpha method allowed to estimate the stiffness of muscle and tendinous tissues on the basis of the assumptions associated to the behaviors of muscle fascicles and tendinous tissues. Muscle and tendon stiffness of the gastrocnemius medialis were also calculated from ultrafast ultrasound measurements. Muscle stiffness measured by the ultrasound method increased from 217 +/- A 83 to 720 +/- A 265 N/mm with an increasing level of force (from
Keywords : Ankle joint Plantar flexors Gastrocnemius Fascicles Tendon series elastic component load-displacement properties triceps surae aponeurosis frame rate ultrasound quick-release method in-vivo mechanical-properties achilles-tendon passive parts electromechanical delay
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Journal articles
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https://hal-amu.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01414357
Contributor : Monique Bernard <>
Submitted on : Monday, December 12, 2016 - 11:39:11 AM
Last modification on : Saturday, October 10, 2020 - 3:07:56 AM

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  • HAL Id : hal-01414357, version 1

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UNIV-AMU | CNRS | UNIV-NANTES | CRMBM | UNIV-LEMANS | MIP

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Hugo Hauraix, Alexandre Foure, Sylvain Dorel, Christophe Cornu, Antoine Nordez. Muscle and tendon stiffness assessment using the alpha method and ultrafast ultrasound. European Journal of Applied Physiology, Springer Verlag, 2015, 115 (7), pp.1393--1400. ⟨hal-01414357⟩

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