title: The Skin Acts to Maintain Muscle Shear Modulus.
abstract: It is not clear how the tissues covering the skeletal muscles affect the muscles' mechanical properties. The main purpose of this study was to examine changes in muscle shear modulus as a representative mechanical property of muscle with and without the covering tissues of skin and epimysium (fascia). Shear modulus of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle was determined using ultrasound shear-wave elastography in the Thiel's embalmed cadavers under three different conditions: original (intact cadavers), removal of the skin on the MG and subsequent removal of the epimysium. Muscle shear modulus significantly decreased by 50% after removal of the skin, whereas no additional changes in shear modulus were observed after subsequent removal of the epimysium. This study suggests that the skin is a main contributor for maintaining the muscle mechanical properties among tissues covering the skeletal muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Life Sciences, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan. Electronic address: y-yoshi@nifs-k.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshitake
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Life Sciences, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Naokazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katayose
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Life Sciences, National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Kanoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanehisa
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D019245:Compressive Strength; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D033081:Shear Strength; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013718:Tensile Strength
keywords: Cadaver; Epimysium; Muscle mechanical properties; Muscle stiffness; Shear-wave elastography