Evaluation of the stiffnesses of the Achilles tendon and soleus from the apparent stiffness of the triceps surae

The triceps surae plays an important role in the performance of many sports. Although the apparent average mechanical properties of the triceps surae may be a satisfactory parameter for estimating the training level of an athlete, a knowledge of the mechanical properties of the individual constituen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine Journal of engineering in medicine, 2015-01, Vol.229 (1), p.28-39
Main Authors: París-García, Federico, Barroso, Alberto, Doblaré, Manuel, Cañas, José, París, Federico
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achilles Tendon - physiology
Ankle Joint - physiology
Anthropometry
Biomechanics
Computer Simulation
Elastic Modulus - physiology
Free vibration
Human performance
Humans
Mechanical engineers
Mechanical properties
Models, Biological
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Parameter estimation
Reproducibility of Results
Robustness
Sensitivity and Specificity
Sports training
Stiffness
Stress, Mechanical
Tendons
Tensile Strength - physiology
Training
Viscoelasticity
Viscosity
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Summary:The triceps surae plays an important role in the performance of many sports. Although the apparent average mechanical properties of the triceps surae may be a satisfactory parameter for estimating the training level of an athlete, a knowledge of the mechanical properties of the individual constituents of the triceps surae (in particular the Achilles tendon and soleus) permits a more detailed and in-depth control of the effects of training from more physically based parameters. The objective of this work is therefore the estimation of the individual viscoelastic properties (stiffness and viscosity) of soleus and Achilles tendon from the apparent properties of the triceps surae obtained by free vibration techniques. Different procedures have been developed and discussed, showing a high degree of robustness in the predictions. The results obtained for a non-oriented set of subjects present a high level of variability, depending on the training conditions and anthropometric features, although the corresponding average values compare well with data previously reported in the literature, particularly those associated with the tendon stiffness.
ISSN:0954-4119
2041-3033
DOI:10.1177/0954411914565828