Rs. James et al., THE EFFECT OF TENDON COMPLIANCE ON IN-VITRO IN-VIVO ESTIMATIONS OF SARCOMERE-LENGTH, Journal of Experimental Biology, 198(2), 1995, pp. 503-506
The errors likely to result from using excised rigor muscles to determ
ine in vivo sarcomere length ranges were calculated for mouse extensor
digitorum longus muscle (EDL). This muscle was chosen because its ver
y long tendon makes it particularly susceptible to errors arising from
tendon compliance. By placing dissected limbs into different locomoto
ry stances, and allowing them to go into rigor, the range of sarcomere
lengths over which muscles operate in vivo can be determined, but it
is subject to errors due to tendon compliance. A tendon compliance of
0.24GPA and a muscle rigor stress of 35kPa were determined, and these
were used to correct the estimates of in vivo sarcomere length, under
worst case conditions. The error introduced was very small: a reductio
n in sarcomere length of less than 0.5 %.