The Multi-Scale, Three-Dimensional Nature of Skeletal Muscle Contraction

Dynamic imaging of skeletal muscle contraction in three orthogonal directions.

In this study, a multidimensional strain estimation method using biplane ultrasound is presented to assess local relative deformation (i.e., local strain) in three orthogonal directions in skeletal muscles during induced and voluntary contractions. The method was tested in the musculus biceps brachii of five healthy subjects for three different types of muscle contraction: 1) excitation of the ...

Method for Three-dimensional Analysis of Skeletal Muscle Strain

Skeletal muscle weakness is frequently associated with stiffness changes [1,2], which may alter functional contraction and passive elongation dynamics. Cine Phase Contrast (CPC) MRI has been successfully used to quantify skeletal muscle strain distribution in a single plane [3,4]. The strain distribution was found to be non-uniform, indicating complex internal dynamics of skeletal muscle. The o...

Biomimetic model of skeletal muscle isometric contraction: II. A phenomenological model of the skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling process

This paper describes a new macroscopic, phenomenological model of the skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling process, as represented by four principal and consecutive compartments (biophysical, biochemical, and biomechanical phases) characteristic of isometric excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian skeletal muscle, and coupled by a system of simultaneous, first-order linear ordin...

Cadherins Promote Skeletal Muscle Differentiation in Three-dimensional Cultures

The cell-cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin, with its associated catenins, is expressed by differentiating skeletal muscle and its precursors. Although N-cadherin's role in later events of skeletal myogenesis such as adhesion during myoblast fusion is well established, less is known about its role in earlier events such as commitment and differentiation. Using an in vitro model system, we have d...

Excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle.