Finite element modeling reveals complex strain mechanics in the aponeuroses of contracting skeletal muscle.

ABSTRACT: A finite element model was used to investigate the counter-intuitive experimental observation that some regions of the aponeuroses of a loaded and contracting muscle may shorten rather than undergo an expected lengthening. The model confirms the experimental findings and suggests that pennation angle plays a significant role in determining whether regions of the aponeuroses stretch or shorten. A smaller pennation angles (25 degrees ) was accompanied by aponeurosis lengthening whereas a larger pennation angle (47 degrees ) was accompanied by mixed strain effects depending upon location along the length of the aponeurosis. This can be explained by the Poisson effect during muscle contraction and a Mohr's circle analogy. Constant volume constraint requires that fiber cross sectional dimension

SUBMITTER: Chi SW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2857665 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature