Open AccessSarcomere length of the vastus intermedius with the knee joint angle change
Author(s) -
Ando Ryosuke,
Taniguchi Keigo,
Kikuchi Shin,
Mizoguchi Shogo,
Fujimiya Mineko,
Katayose Masaki,
Akima Hiroshi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.14814/phy2.14771
Subject(s) - sarcomere , knee joint , anatomy , cadaver , joint (building) , medicine , time of death , materials science , surgery , myocyte , structural engineering , emergency medicine , engineering
The force–length relation of the skeletal muscles is an important factor influencing the joint torque at a given joint angle. We aimed to clarify the relationship between the resting sarcomere length and knee joint angle in the vastus intermedius (VI) and to compare it with that of the vastus lateralis (VL). The left and right legs were fixed at knee joint angles of 0° and 90°, respectively, in seven cadavers (age at the time of death: 70–91 years). Muscle tissues were dissected by necropsy of the VL and the VI, and electron microscopy images were obtained to calculate the sarcomere length. At knee joint angles of 0° and 90°, the VL sarcomere length was 2.28 ± 0.49 μm and 2.30 ± 0.48 μm, respectively, and the VI sarcomere length was 2.19 ± 0.35 μm and 2.46 ± 0.53 μm, respectively, with a significant difference between the two ( p = 0.028). The magnitude of sarcomere length changes with knee joint angle changes was significantly greater for the VI (0.27 ± 0.20 μm) than for the VL (0.02 ± 0.09 μm) ( p = 0.009). Thus, knee joint angle changes may affect the passive and active tension produced by the VI more than those produced by the VL.