Extramuscular myofascialnext term force transmission also occurs between synergistic muscles and antagonistic muscles

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Extramuscular myofascialnext term force transmission also occurs between synergistic muscles and antagonistic muscles
December 2007
Peter A. Huijinga, b, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Rolf W. van de Langenberga, Jorit J. Meestersa and Guus C. Baana
aInstituut voor Fundamentele en Klinische Bewegingswetenschappen, Faculteit Bewegingswetenschappen, Vrije Universiteit, Van den Boechorststraat 9, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
bIntegrated Biomedical Engineering for Restoration of Human Function, Instituut voor Biomedische Technologie, Faculteit Constructieve Technische Wetenschappen, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that previous termmyofascialnext term force transmission may not be limited by compartmental boundaries of a muscle group to synergists. Muscles of the anterior tibial compartment in rat hindlimb as well as of the neighbouring peroneal compartment (antagonistic muscles) were excited maximally. LengthÒforce data, based on proximal lengthening, of EDL, as well as distal lengthening of the tibial muscles (TA + EHL) and the peroneal muscle group (PER) were collected independently, while keeping the other two muscle groups at a constant muscleÒtendon complex length. Simultaneously measured, distal and proximal EDL active forces were found to differ significantly throughout the experiment. The magnitude of this difference and its sign was affected after proximal lengthening of EDL itself, but also of the tibial muscle complex and of the peroneal muscle complex. Proximal lengthening of EDL predominantly affected its synergistic muscles within the anterior crural compartment (force decrease <4%). Lengthening of either TA or PER caused a decrease in distal EDL isometric force (by 5Ò6% of initial force). It is concluded also that mechanisms for mechanical intermuscular interaction extend beyond the limits of muscle compartments in the rat hindlimb. Even antagonistic muscles should not be considered fully independent units of muscular function.

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