title: Axial strain measurements in skeletal muscle at various strain rates.
abstract: A noncontact optical system using high speed image analysis to measure local tissue deformations and axial strains along skeletal muscle is described. The spatial resolution of the system was 20 pixels/cm and the accuracy was +/- 0.125 mm. In order to minimize the error associated with discrete data used to characterize a continuous strain field, the displacement data were fitted with a third order polynomial and the fitted data differentiated to measure surface strains using a Lagrangian finite strain formulation. The distribution of axial strain along the muscle-tendon unit was nonuniform and rate dependent. Despite a variation in local strain distribution with strain rate, the maximum axial strain, Exx = 0.614 +/- 0.045 mm/mm, was rate insensitive and occurred at the failure site for all tests. The frequency response of the video system (1000 Hz) and the measurement of a continuous strain field along the entire length of the structure improve upon previous noncontact optical systems for measurement of surface strains in soft tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0281, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McElhaney
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Myers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000503:physiopathology*