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Measurement of gastrocnemius muscle elasticity by shear wave elastography: association with passive ankle joint stiffness and sex differences

  • Original Article
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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Passive joint stiffness is an important quantitative measure of flexibility, but is affected by muscle volume and all of the anatomical structures located within and over the joint. Shear wave elastography can assess muscle elasticity independent of the influences of muscle volume and the other nearby anatomical structures. We determined how muscle elasticity, as measured using shear wave elastography, is associated with passive joint stiffness and patient sex.

Methods

Twenty-six healthy men (24.4 ± 5.9 years) and 26 healthy women (25.2 ± 4.8 years) participated in this study. The passive ankle joint stiffness and tissue elasticity of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) were quantified with the ankle in 30° plantar flexion (PF), a neutral anatomical position (NE), and 20° dorsiflexion (DF).

Results

No significant difference in passive joint stiffness by sex was observed with the ankle in PF, but significantly greater passive ankle joint stiffness in men than in women was observed in NE and DF. The MG elasticity was not significantly associated with joint stiffness in PF or NE, but it was significantly associated with joint stiffness in DF. There were no significant differences in MG elasticity by sex at any ankle position.

Conclusions

Muscle elasticity, measured independent of the confounding effects of muscle volume and the other nearby anatomical structures, is associated with passive joint stiffness in the joint position where the muscle is sufficiently lengthened, but does not vary by sex in any joint position tested.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

CV:

Coefficient of variation

DF:

Dorsiflexion

FL:

Fascicle length

MG:

Medial gastrocnemius

MT:

Muscle thickness

NE:

Neutral anatomical position

PA:

Pennation angle

PF:

Plantar flexion

ROI:

Region of interest

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 24700695 and 15K16500.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sports Science, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, 3-15-1 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 115-0056, Japan

    Kentaro Chino & Hideyuki Takahashi

Authors
  1. Kentaro Chino
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  2. Hideyuki Takahashi
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Correspondence to Kentaro Chino.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by Olivier Seynnes.

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Chino, K., Takahashi, H. Measurement of gastrocnemius muscle elasticity by shear wave elastography: association with passive ankle joint stiffness and sex differences. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 823–830 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3339-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3339-5

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