Muscle spindles are multi-functional.
The number and distribution of mammalian muscle spindles in their parent muscle are not simply related to overall muscle length because (i) they lie in parallel to muscle-fibers in series to elastic elements; (ii) muscle architectures are complex and may be functionally partitioned; (iii) task-dependent fusimotor inputs co-determine spindle firing and (iv) the complex central connectivity co-determines the functional use made of spindle afferent signals. Muscle spindles are multi-functional.
Windhorst
Uwe
U
Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, University of Goettingen, Humboldtallee 23, Goettingen, Germany. siggi.uwe@t-online.de
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*