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Muscle force interacts with stature to influence functionally related polar second moments of area in the lower limb among adult women
Author(s) -
Murray Alison A.,
Stock Jay T.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.24097
Subject(s) - tibia , femur , ankle , lever , anatomy , quantitative computed tomography , biomechanics , medicine , physical medicine and rehabilitation , bone density , surgery , physics , quantum mechanics , osteoporosis
Objectives We sought to determine the relationships between muscle size, function, and polar second moments of area (J) at the midshaft femur, proximal tibia, and midshaft tibia. Materials and Methods We used peripheral quantitative computed tomography to quantify right femoral and tibial J and soft tissue cross‐sectional areas, and force plate mechanography to quantify peak power output and maximum force of the right limb, among athletic women and control subjects. Results Lower limb bone J exhibited strong relationships with estimated force but not power between both groups. Among controls, the strongest relationships between force and J were found at the midshaft femur. Among athletes, these relationships shifted to the tibia, regardless of body size, likely reflecting functional strain related to the major knee extensors and ankle plantarflexors. Together, muscle force and stature explained as much as 82 and 48% of the variance in lower limb bone J among controls and athletes, respectively. Discussion Results highlight the importance of considering relevant muscle function variables (e.g., force and lever arm lengths) when interpreting behavioral signatures from skeletal remains. Future work to improve the estimation of muscle force from skeletal remains, and incorporate it with lever arm length into analyses, is warranted. Results also suggest that, in doing so, functional relationships between a given section location and musculature should be considered.