The interaction between the muscle fascicle and tendon components of the human soleus (SO) muscle influences the capacity of the muscle to generate force and mechanical work during walking and running. In the present study, ultrasound-based measurements of in vivo SO muscle fascicle behavior were combined with an inverse dynamics analysis to investigate the interaction between the muscle fascicle and tendon components over a broad range of steady-state walking and running speeds: slow-paced walking (0.7 m/s) through to moderate-paced running (5.0 m/s). Irrespective of a change in locomotion mode (i.e., walking vs. running) or an increase in steady-state speed, SO muscle fascicles were found to exhibit minimal shortening compared with the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) throughout stance. During walking and running, the muscle fascicles contributed only 35 and 20% of the overall MTU length change and shortening velocity, respectively. Greater levels of muscle activity resulted in increasingly shorter SO muscle fascicles as locomotion speed increased, both of which facilitated greater tendon stretch and recoil. Thus the elastic tendon contributed the majority of the MTU length change during walking and running. When transitioning from walking to running near the preferred transition speed (2.0 m/s), greater, more economical ankle torque development is likely explained by the SO muscle fascicles shortening more slowly and operating on a more favorable portion (i.e., closer to the plateau) of the force-length curve.

The human ankle plantar-flexors, the soleus and gastrocnemius, utilize tendon elastic strain energy to reduce muscle fiber work and optimize contractile conditions during running. However, studies to date have considered only slow to moderate running speeds up to 5 m s −1 . Little is known about how the human ankle plantar-flexors utilize tendon elastic strain energy as running speed is advanced towards maximum sprinting. We used data obtained from gait experiments in conjunction with musculoskeletal modeling and optimization techniques to calculate muscle-tendon unit (MTU) work, tendon elastic strain energy and muscle fiber work for the ankle plantar-flexors as participants ran at five discrete steady-state speeds ranging from jogging (~2 m s −1 ) to sprinting (≥8 m s −1 ). As running speed progressed from jogging to sprinting, the contribution of tendon elastic strain energy to the positive work generated by the MTU increased from 53% to 74% for the soleus and from 62% to 75% for the gastrocnemius. This increase was facilitated by greater muscle activation and the relatively isometric behavior of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle fibers. Both of these characteristics enhanced tendon stretch and recoil, which contributed to the bulk of the change in MTU length. Our results suggest that as steady-state running speed is advanced towards maximum sprinting, the human ankle plantar-flexors continue to prioritize the storage and recovery of tendon elastic strain energy over muscle fiber work.

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The aims of this study were to evaluate and explain the individual muscle contributions to the medial and lateral knee compartment forces during gait, and to determine whether these quantities could be inferred from their contributions to the external knee adduction moment. Gait data from eight healthy male subjects were used to compute each individual muscle contribution to the external knee adduction moment, the net tibiofemoral joint reaction force, and reaction moment. The individual muscle contributions to the medial and lateral compartment forces were then found using a least-squares approach. While knee-spanning muscles were the primary contributors, non-knee-spanning muscles (e.g., the gluteus medius) also contributed substantially to the medial compartment compressive force. Furthermore, knee-spanning muscles tended to compress both compartments, while most non-knee-spanning muscles tended to compress the medial compartment but unload the lateral compartment. Muscle contributions to the external knee adduction moment, particularly those from knee-spanning muscles, did not accurately reflect their tendencies to compress or unload the medial compartment. This finding may further explain why gait modifications may reduce the knee adduction moment without necessarily decreasing the medial compartment force. ß

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Objective. To determine whether people with patellofemoral (PF) joint osteoarthritis (OA) ascend and descend stairs with different PF joint loading, knee joint moments, lower limb kinematics, and muscle forces compared to healthy people.Methods. We recruited 17 participants with isolated PF joint OA, 13 participants with concurrent PF joint OA and tibiofemoral (TF) joint OA, and 21 agematched controls. Joint kinematics and ground reaction forces were measured while participants ascended and descended stairs at a self-selected speed. Musculoskeletal computer modeling was used to determine lower limb muscle forces and the PF joint reaction force, and these parameters were compared between groups by analysis of variance.Results. Compared to their healthy counterparts, participants with isolated PF joint OA and participants with concurrent PF and TF joint OA ascended and descended stairs with lower knee extension moments, lower quadriceps muscle forces, lower PF joint reaction forces, and increased anterior pelvic tilt. Participants with OA also ascended stairs with increased hip flexion angles and descended stairs with smaller knee flexion angles and smaller hip abductor muscle forces. No differences were evident between the two groups with OA.Conclusion.