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1 Sports Medicine Research Unit/Team Danmarks Testcenter, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2 Department of Orthopaedics, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jbm01{at}bbh.hosp.dk.
The human triceps surae muscle-tendon complex is a unique structure with three separate muscle compartments that merge via their aponeuroses into the Achilles tendon. The mechanical function and properties of these structures during muscular contraction are not well understood. The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which differential displacement occurs between the aponeuroses of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) muscles during plantarflexion. Eight subjects (mean±SD; age; 30±7 yrs, body mass; 76.8±5.5 kg, height; 1.83±0.06 m) performed maximal isometric ramp contractions with the plantarflexor muscles. The experiment was performed in two positions: Position 1, in which the knee joint was maximally extended and position 2, in which the knee joint was maximally flexed. Plantarflexion moment was assessed with a strain gauge load cell, and the corresponding displacement of the MG and SOL aponeuroses was measured using ultrasonography. Differential shear displacement of the aponeurosis was quantified in each position by subtracting displacement of SOL from that of MG. Maximal plantarflexion moment was 36% greater in position 1 than in position 2 (132±20 Nm vs. 97±11 Nm). In position 1, the displacement of the MG aponeurosis at maximal tendon force exceeded that of the SOL (12.6±1.7 mm vs. 8.9±1.5 mm), whereas in position 2 displacement of the SOL was greater than displacement of the MG (9.6±1.0 mm vs. 7.9±1.2 mm). The amount and 'direction' of shear between the aponeuroses differed significantly between the two positions across the entire force range, which indicates that the Achilles tendon may be exposed to intratendinous shear and stress gradients during human locomotion.
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