The aim of this study was to examine the long-term effects of static stretching of the plantar-flexor muscles on eccentric and concentric torque and ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in healthy subjects. Seventy five healthy male volunteers, with no previous history of trauma to the calf that required surgery, absence of knee flexion contracture and no history of neurologic dysfunction or dise...

Children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP) are often impaired in their gait as a result of a decreased range of motion (ROM) of their ankle joint. One of the most common treatments of the decreased ROM is injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) into the spastic ankle plantar flexor muscles. The rationale behind this treatment is to temporarily decrease activity of the spastic muscles (by blockin...

Medial gastrocnemius (MGN) muscles were grafted in 18 rats and evaluated at 60, 90, and 120 days after the operation. Our purpose was to investigate the degree of recovery of the vascularized MGN grafts and the entire plantar flexor muscle group. Compared with control values, muscle mass and maximum force of MGN grafts were decreased by 33 and 38% at 60 days, 22 and 32% at 90 days, and 13 and 1...

BACKGROUND Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic soft tissue structures that apply forces and support the medial longitudinal arch have been implicated in pes planus. These structures have common functions but their interaction in pes planus is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to compare the cross-sectional area (CSA) and thickness of the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles and plant...

Background: The maintenance of postural control is a key component in dynamic physical activity, especially during muscle fatigue and against external forces. Despite many studies in this field, there is no consensus regarding the effects of plantar flexor muscles fatigue on postural control during different postural tasks.Objective: To evaluate the effects of plantar flexor muscles fatigue on ...

OBJECTIVE Muscle weakness and atrophy of the lower limbs may develop in patients with diabetes, increasing their risk of falls. The underlying basis of these abnormalities has not been fully explained. The aim of this study was to objectively quantify muscle strength and size in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in relation to the severity of neuropathy, intramuscular noncontractile...

In human beings, the muscles of the sole of the foot are known to exhibit variations. During routine cadaveric dissection, an anomalous attachment of the flexor digiti minimi muscle was observed on both sides of a 55 year male cadaver. The flexor digiti minimi muscle had its usual origin from the plantar surface of base of the fifth metatarsal bone and the sheath of the peroneus longus muscle a...

A critical requirement of submaximal exercise tests is the comparability of workload and associated metabolic stress between subjects. In this study, 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to estimate metabolic strain in the soleus muscle during dynamic, submaximal plantar flexion in which target torque was 10 and 15% of a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). In 10 healthy, normally activ...

Introduction Flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallucis longus and tibialis posterior are the three deep muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg. Flexor digitorum longus arises from the posterior surface of tibia below the soleal line medial to tibialis posterior, and by a broad tendon from the fibula, then courses deep to the flexor retinaculum in the tarsal tunnel to enter the sole of f...

BACKGROUND Deficits in ankle muscle strength and ankle stiffness may be present in those subjects who underwent surgical treatment for an Achilles tendon rupture. The presence of these long-term deficits may contribute to a lower performance during daily activities and may be linked to future injuries. OBJECTIVE To compare the ankle passive stiffness and the plantar flexor muscle performance ...