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Abstract
Purpose: This study investigated the effects of isometric plantar-flexion against different resistances on the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF), erector spinae (ES), and gastrocnemius stiffness by shear wave elastography (SWE). The purpose was to explore the interaction between the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue in the myofascial tensegrity network. Methods: Twenty healthy young female were recruited in this study. The stiffness of the TLF, ES, medial gastrocnemius (MG), and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) was measured by SWE under four isometric plantar-flexion resistance conditions. The resistance conditions involved 0% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), 20% MVIC, 40% MVIC, and 60% MVIC. Results: There was a strong correlation between the stiffness change of MG and that of TLF (r = 0.768–0.943, p < 0.001) and ES (r = 0.743–0.930, p < 0.001), while it was moderate to strong correlation between MG and that of LG (r = 0.588–0.800, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the stiffness between the nondominant and dominant sides of TLF and ES under the resting position (p > 0.05). The increase in stiffness of the TLF, ES, MG, and LG, with MVIC percentage (p < 0.05), and the stiffness of TLF and ES on the nondominant side is much higher than that on the dominant side. Conclusions: Our data shows that isometric plantar-flexion has a significant effect on the stiffness of the lumbar soft tissue and gastrocnemius. The gastrocnemius has a strong correlation with the stiffness changes of TLF and ES, which provides preliminary evidence for exploring the myofascial tensegrity network between the dorsal side of the lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue.
Highlights
The fascia is a connective tissue network that envelops and links the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and viscera of the whole body (Wilke et al, 2016; Bordoni et al, 2019)
Long-Distance Effects of Isometric Plantar-Flexion years, biomechanical and anatomical studies have found that the interactions among different tissues is realized through the connection of muscle and fascia—for example, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and deltoid transfer interact through the brachial fascia, thereby playing a synergistic role in upper arm movement (Stecco et al, 2008); dorsiflexion of the ankle joint can cause the joint displacement of the gastrocnemius, semimembranosus, and quadriceps femoris (Huang et al, 2018; Wilke et al, 2020); the contraction of gluteus maximus (GMax) can affect the contralateral latissimus dorsi through the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) and erector spinae (ES) (Carvalhais et al, 2013)
In the condition of no resistance, there was no significant difference in the stiffness between the nondominant and dominant sides of TLF and ES (p > 0.05, Figure 3), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) stiffness was significantly higher than lateral gastrocnemius (LG) (p < 0.001, Figure 3)
Summary
The fascia is a connective tissue network that envelops and links the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and viscera of the whole body (Wilke et al, 2016; Bordoni et al, 2019). Long-Distance Effects of Isometric Plantar-Flexion years, biomechanical and anatomical studies have found that the interactions among different tissues is realized through the connection of muscle and fascia—for example, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, and deltoid transfer interact through the brachial fascia, thereby playing a synergistic role in upper arm movement (Stecco et al, 2008); dorsiflexion of the ankle joint can cause the joint displacement of the gastrocnemius, semimembranosus, and quadriceps femoris (Huang et al, 2018; Wilke et al, 2020); the contraction of gluteus maximus (GMax) can affect the contralateral latissimus dorsi through the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) and erector spinae (ES) (Carvalhais et al, 2013) These studies show that the different human tissues interact by the myofascial tensegrity network, which provides solid evidence for the existence of the tensegrity network. We chose isometric plantar flexion in the prone position to maximize gastrocnemius tension in order to better observe the effects of isometric plantar-flexion on the dorsal side of lower limb muscle and lumbar tissue stiffness
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