title: A mechanical device for studying mechanical properties of human muscles in vivo.
abstract: A mechanical device, primarily devoted to biomechanical studies of human calf muscles during microgravity experiments is presented. It allows investigation of both contractile and visco-elastic properties of musculo-articular systems using, respectively, isokinetic movements, quick-release tests and sinusoidal perturbations. This device is a specifically designed ergometer associated to an experimental protocol designed for pre- and post-flight tests. The protocol was evaluated on 22 healthy subjects and typical results are briefly presented. Preliminary results are discussed in terms of agreement with currently available data and a detailed evaluation of test-retest measurements is provided for quick-release experiments. Complementary investigations are suggested and potential fields of research are indicated.
authors.affiliation: Département de Génie Biologique, UMR CNRS 6600, Université de Technologie, Compiègne, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tognella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mainar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanhoutte
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goubel
mesh_terms: D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004548:Elasticity; D004867:Equipment Design; D016552:Ergometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D014783:Viscosity