Influence of knee joint angle on muscle properties of paralyzed and nonparalyzed human knee extensors

K.H.L. Gerrits, C.N. Maganaris, N.D. Reeves, A.J. Sargeant, D.A. Jones, A. de Haan

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    Abstract

    Muscles of individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibit an unexpected leftward shift in the force (torque)-frequency relationship. We investigated whether differences in torque-angle relationships between SCI and able-bodied control muscles could explain this shift. Electrically stimulated knee-extensor contractions were obtained at knee flexion angles of between 30° and 90°. Torque-frequency relationships were obtained at 30°, 90°, and optimum angle. Optimum angle was not different between groups but SCI-normalized torques were lower at the extreme angles. At all angles, SCI muscles produced higher relative torques at low stimulation frequencies. Thus, there was no evidence of a consistent change in the length of paralyzed SCI muscles, and the anomalous leftward shift in the torque-frequency relationship was not the result of testing the muscle at a relatively long length. The results provide valuable information about muscle changes occurring in various neurological disorders. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)73-80
    JournalMuscle and Nerve
    Volume32
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2005

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