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Phase-contrast MRI reveals mechanical behavior of superficial and deep aponeuroses in human medial gastrocnemius during isometric contraction

¹Muscle Imaging and Modeling Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego; ²Department of Biomedical Engineering, ³Department of Physiological Science, ⁴Brain Research Institute, and ⁵Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California

Submitted 21 March 2008 ; accepted in final form 6 August 2008

The behavior of the entire medial gastrocnemius (MG) superficial and deep aponeurosis structure was investigated with velocity-encoded phase-contrast, spin-tag, and three-dimensional morphometric magnetic resonance imaging. The displacements and strain of both these aponeuroses, muscle length, and the cross-sectional segment length of the deep aponeurosis were measured during isometric plantarflexion at 20% and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). The length of the entire MG shortened during 20% and 40% MVC. All regions of interest in both aponeuroses moved proximally. Positive strain (lengthening) occurred in both ends of the deep aponeurosis and in the proximal region of the superficial aponeurosis. In contrast, negative strain (shortening) was observed in the middle region of the deep aponeurosis and in the distal region of the superficial aponeurosis. Consistent with this shortening of the deep aponeurosis length along the proximal-distal axis was expansion of the aponeuroses in the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions in the cross-sectional plane. It is concluded that at low to moderate force levels of isometric contraction, regional differences in strain occur along the proximal-distal axis of both aponeuroses, and some regions of both aponeuroses shorten.

strain; skeletal muscle; morphology; velocity-encoded phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging; aponeurosis

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