IN VIVO MEASUREMENT OF STIFFNESS AND VISCOSITY OF SURAL TRICEPS

Authors

  • F. París-Garcia
  • A. Barroso
  • J. Ribas
  • J. Cañas
  • F. Paris

Keywords:

Muscle-Tendon Complex, Viscous-elastic properties, In-vivo properties measurement

Abstract

The purpose of this study is the evaluation of the stiffness and viscosity of a particular muscle-tendon complex (MTC), the Surae Triceps (ST). The knowledge of these properties is essential for assessing and monitoring the physical condition of an athlete or sportman. A measurement procedure based on the free vibration technique, assuming that a part of the body behaves as a one degree of freedom system, has been developed to obtain the aforementioned properties. The apparent properties of MTC are obtained adjusting the experimental record of a force to a theoretical record assuming a one degree of freedom system. Assuming a Hill model for the behaviour of the muscle, the knowledge of these apparent properties leads, by a fitting procedure, to obtain the separate values of these properties for the soleus and the Achilles tendon.

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