Muscle fiber architecture in the human lower limb.

Mathematical calculations of muscle forces often require an estimate of a given muscle’s capacity to generate force. A traditional way of expressing a muscle’s fora generating capacity is in terms of its ‘physiological cross-sectional area’ (degned by muscle volume or muscle mass divided by either gross musck length or muscle fiber length with or without accounting for pennation) (Brand et al.. 1981: Close, 1972; Crowninshield and Brand. IPRI; Crowninshield et a/., 1978; Fict. 19l& Haxton. 1944; lkai and Fukunaga. 1968; Morris, 1949; Pierrynowski. 1982 Spector er uf.. 1980). Sina no study reports systematically colkctcd muscle liber length in all lower limb muscles, including hip muscles, we conducted the following work.