E Effect of Tendon Compliance on in Vitro/in Vivo Es Sarcomere Length

simula in vivo and to of thi operat muscl from k and S video locom positio during muscl injection of a fixative solution, usually formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde. Muscle fibres are then dissected out and sarcomere length determined microscopically or by light diffraction. James et al. (1995) examined the properties of mouse fast twitch (extensor digitorum longus, EDL) and slow twitch (soleus) muscle using the work loop technique. They related the in vitro muscle performance under different strains, oscillatory cycle frequencies and stimulation regimes to the in vivo operation of the muscles, determined by kinematic analysis of high-speed video sequences of mice during locomotion. During locomotion, tendons will be stretched by the forces exerted upon them. These forces vary cyclically because of the cyclic activity of the muscles attached to them. The more compliant a tendon is, the more the muscle attached to it will need to shorten to produce a given action. When limbs att egl inc is t don wil ugh per com