Using muscle-tendon load limits to assess unphysiological musculoskeletal model deformation and Hill-type muscle parameter choice.

Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science

Tendons*/physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal*/physiology ; Models, Biological*; Humans ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Computer Simulation ; Tendon Injuries/physiopathology ; Gait/physiology ; Weight-Bearing/physiology

Musculoskeletal simulations are a useful tool for improving our understanding of the human body. However, the physiological validity of predicted kinematics and forces is highly dependent upon the correct calibration of muscle parameters and the structural integrity of a model's internal skeletal structure. In this study, we show how ill-tuned muscle parameters and unphysiological deformations of a model's skeletal structure can be detected by using muscle elements as sensors with which modelling and parameterization inconsistencies can be identified through muscle and tendon strain injury assessment. To illustrate our approach, two modelling issues were recreated. First, a model repositioning simulation using the THUMS AM50 occupant model version 5.03 was performed to show how internal model deformations can occur during a change of model posture. Second, the muscle material parameters of the OpenSim gait2354 model were varied to illustrate how unphysiological muscle forces can arise if material parameters are inadequately calibrated. The simulations were assessed for muscle and tendon strain injuries using previously published injury criteria and a newly developed method to determine tendon strain injury threshold values. Muscle strain injuries in the left and right musculus pronator teres were detected during the model repositioning. This straining was caused by an unphysiologically large gap (12.92 mm) that had formed in the elbow joint. Similarly, muscle and tendon strain injuries were detected in the modified right-hand musculus gastrocnemius medialis of the gait2354 model where an unphysiological reduction of the tendon slack length introduced large pre-strain of the muscle-tendon unit. The results of this work show that the proposed method can quantify the internal distortion behaviour of musculoskeletal human body models and the plausibility of Hill-type muscle parameter choice via strain injury assessment. Furthermore, we highlight possible actions to avoid the presented issues and inconsistencies in literature data concerning the material characteristics of human tendons.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
(Copyright: © 2024 Nölle et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Front Sports Act Living. 2020 Aug 06;2:88. (PMID: 33345079)
J Biomech. 2013 May 31;46(9):1477-88. (PMID: 23623312)
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Dec 14;11:1293705. (PMID: 38155925)
J Biomech Eng. 2015 Feb 1;137(2):020905. (PMID: 25474098)
Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2017 Jun;20(8):803-821. (PMID: 28387534)
J Biomech. 2006;39(11):2055-63. (PMID: 16084520)
Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2020 Dec;19(6):2015-2047. (PMID: 32314072)
J Biomech Eng. 2019 Jun 1;141(6):. (PMID: 30942825)
PLoS Comput Biol. 2018 Jul 26;14(7):e1006223. (PMID: 30048444)
Am J Sports Med. 1998 May-Jun;26(3):425-7. (PMID: 9617407)
Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 22;14(1):6875. (PMID: 38519507)
Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2013 Apr;16(4):451-62. (PMID: 22224406)
J Biomech Eng. 2024 Feb 1;146(2):. (PMID: 37978046)
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2007 Nov;54(11):1940-50. (PMID: 18018689)
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 1990 Aug;37(8):757-67. (PMID: 2210784)
Ann Biomed Eng. 2005 Jun;33(6):829-40. (PMID: 16078622)
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 May 17;11:1176818. (PMID: 37265993)
Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2016 Oct;230(10):976-84. (PMID: 27459500)
J Biomech Eng. 2003 Feb;125(1):70-7. (PMID: 12661198)
J Biomech. 2014 Apr 11;47(6):1531-6. (PMID: 24612719)
J Biomech. 1989;22(1):1-10. (PMID: 2914967)
Biomed Eng Online. 2022 Apr 16;21(1):25. (PMID: 35429975)
Stapp Car Crash J. 2015 Nov;59:53-90. (PMID: 26660740)
Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Oct 16;11:1203959. (PMID: 37908376)
Am J Sports Med. 1995 Jan-Feb;23(1):65-73. (PMID: 7726353)
J R Soc Interface. 2023 Feb;20(199):20220430. (PMID: 36722069)
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2016 Oct;63(10):2068-79. (PMID: 27392337)
Disabil Rehabil. 2008;30(20-22):1542-7. (PMID: 18720120)
J Hand Surg Am. 2017 Feb;42(2):118-126. (PMID: 28160902)
Biomech Model Mechanobiol. 2023 Dec;22(6):2003-2032. (PMID: 37542621)
Math Biosci. 2020 Sep;327:108432. (PMID: 32710903)
J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2022 Nov;135:105463. (PMID: 36137370)
J Biomech. 2003 Mar;36(3):321-8. (PMID: 12594980)
Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2012 Feb;226(2):82-94. (PMID: 22468460)
Biol Cybern. 2007 Jul;97(1):63-79. (PMID: 17598125)
J Biomech. 1968 Jan;1(1):53-63. (PMID: 16329310)
Biomed Eng Online. 2017 Sep 2;16(1):109. (PMID: 28865494)
Am J Sports Med. 1994 Mar-Apr;22(2):257-61. (PMID: 8198196)
Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 1999;2(3):201-231. (PMID: 11264828)
J Biomech Eng. 2001 Oct;123(5):381-90. (PMID: 11601721)
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2001 Mar;16(3):245-51. (PMID: 11240060)
Am J Sports Med. 1993 Mar-Apr;21(2):190-4. (PMID: 8465911)
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2015 Feb;24(2):250-7. (PMID: 25487900)
J Biomech. 2006;39(9):1563-82. (PMID: 16000201)
Am J Sports Med. 1994 Jul-Aug;22(4):558-61. (PMID: 7943524)
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2016 Aug;37:1-6. (PMID: 27280323)
Clin Sports Med. 1992 Jul;11(3):521-31. (PMID: 1638639)
J Biomech. 2012 May 11;45(8):1463-71. (PMID: 22507351)

Date Created: 20241114 Date Completed: 20241114 Latest Revision: 20241116

20241116

PMC11563368

10.1371/journal.pone.0302949

39541322