Mechanical responses of human hypothenar and calf muscles in normal and pathological states

Sica, Roberto E. P.

doi:10.1590/S0004-282X1977000200004

Abstracts

A study has been made of the isometric twitches of hypothenar and calf muscles in man. The twitch contraction time for hypothenar muscles ranged between 55 and 78 ms, while for the calf muscles it ranged between 90 and 125 ms. According to their speed of contractions the hypothenar muscles were considered belonging to the so called intermedious group while the calf muscles integrate the slow group. It has been also demonstrated that these techniques can successfully be applied to the investigation of several neuromuscular disorders.

Se realizo un estúdio de la contracción isométrica de los músculos de Ia eminencia hipotenar y pantorrilla en el hombre. Los tiempos de contracción para los músculos de la eminencia hipotenar variaron entre 55 y 78 ms, en tanto que los correspondientes a la pantorrilla lo hicieron entre los 90 y 125 ms. En base a estos tiempos los primeros fueron classificados dentro del grupo de músculos intermedios, en tanto que los últimos lo fueron en el lento. Se resalta la importancia de estas técnicas en el estúdio de Ia patologia neurológica periférica.

Mechanical responses of human hypothenar and calf muscles in normal and pathological states

Roberto E. P. Sica

Sección de Electroneurofisiologia Clínica, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires

SUMMARY

A study has been made of the isometric twitches of hypothenar and calf muscles in man. The twitch contraction time for hypothenar muscles ranged between 55 and 78 ms, while for the calf muscles it ranged between 90 and 125 ms. According to their speed of contractions the hypothenar muscles were considered belonging to the so called intermedious group while the calf muscles integrate the slow group. It has been also demonstrated that these techniques can successfully be applied to the investigation of several neuromuscular disorders.

RESUMEN

Se realizo un estúdio de la contracción isométrica de los músculos de Ia eminencia hipotenar y pantorrilla en el hombre. Los tiempos de contracción para los músculos de la eminencia hipotenar variaron entre 55 y 78 ms, en tanto que los correspondientes a la pantorrilla lo hicieron entre los 90 y 125 ms. En base a estos tiempos los primeros fueron classificados dentro del grupo de músculos intermedios, en tanto que los últimos lo fueron en el lento. Se resalta la importancia de estas técnicas en el estúdio de Ia patologia neurológica periférica.

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Sección de Electroneurofisiología Clínica - Hospital Ramos Mejía - Urquiza 609 - Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1. ANDERSEN, P. & SEARS, T. A. - The mechanical properties and innervation of fast and slow motor units in the intercostal muscles of the cat. J. Physiol. 173:114, 1964.
2. BOTELHO, S.; BECKETT, S. B. & BENDLER, B. - Mechanical and electrical responses of intact thenar muscles to indirect stimuli. Neurology (Minneapolis) 10:601, 1960.
3. BOTELHO, S. & CANDER, L. - Post-tetanic potentiation before and during ischaemia in intact human skeletal muscle. J. Appl. Physiol. 6:221, 1953.
4. BUERKE, R. E. - Motor unit types of cat triceps surae muscle. J. Physiol. 193:141, 1967.
5. BUCHTAL, F. & SCHMALBRUCH, H. - Spectrum of contraction times of different fibres bundles in the brachial biceps and triceps muscles of man. Nature 222:89, 1969.
6. BUCHTAL, F.; SCHMALBRUCH, H. & KAMIENIECKA, Z. - Contraction times and fiber types in patients with progressive muscular dystrophy. Neurology (Minneapolis) 21:131, 1971.
7. BUCHTAL, F.; SCHMALBRUCH, H. & KAMIENIECKA, Z. - Contraction times and fiber types in neurogenic paresis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 21:58, 1971.
8. BULLER, A. J.; DORNHOST, A. C; EDWARDS, R.; KERR, D. & WHELAN, R. F. - Fast and slow muscles in mamais. Nature 183:1516, 1959.
9. BULLER, A. J.; ECCLES, J. C. & ECCLES, R. M. - Differentiation of fast and slow muscles in the cat hind-limb. J. Physiol. 150:399, 1960.
10. CHRISTENSEN, E. - Topography of terminal motor innervation in striated muscles from stillborn infants. Am J. Physic. Med. 38:65, 1959.
11. DESMEDT, J. & HAINANT, K. - Kinetics of myofilaments activation in potentiated contraction: staircase phenomenon in human skeletal muscle. Nature 217:529, 1968.
12. FEINSTEIN. B.; LINDEGARD, B.; NYMAN, E. & WOHLFART, G. - Morphologic studies of motor units in normal human muscles. Acta Anat. 23:127, 1955.
13. LAMBERT, E.; UNDERDAHL, O.; BECKETT, S. & MEDEROS, L. - A study of the ankle jerk in myxoedema. J. Clin. Endocr. 11:1186, 1951.
14. MARSDEN, C. D. & MEADOWS. J. C. - The effect of adrenaline on the contraction of human muscle. J. Physiol. 207:429, 1970.
15. MERTON, P. A. - Voluntary strengh and fatigue. J. Physiol. 23:553, 1954.
16. MERTON, P. A. & PANPIGLIONI, G. - Strengh and Fatigue. Nature 66:527, 1950.
17. Mc COMAS, A. J.; SICA, R. E. P.; Mc NABB, A.; GOLDBERG, W & UPTON, A. - Evidence for reversible motoneurone dysfunction in thyrotoxicosis. J. Neurol. Neuros. Psychiat. 37:548, 1974.
18. Mc COMAS, A. J. & THOMAS. H. C. - Fast and slow twitch muscles in man. J. Neurol. Sci. 7:301, 1968.
19. RANVIER, L. - Proprietés et structures differents des muscles rouges et des muscles blancs chez les lapins et chez les raies. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 77:1030, 1873.
20. SICA, R. E. P. & Mc COMAS, A. J. - Fast and slow twitch units in a human muscle. J. Neurol. Neurol. Psychiat. 34:113, 1971.
21. SICA, R. E. P.; Mc COMAS, A. J.; UPTON, A. & LONGMIRE, D. - Motor unit estimations in small muscles of the hand. J. Neurol. Neurol. Psychiat. 37:55, 1974.
22. SICA, R. E. P. & SANZ, O. P. - The effects of ageing upon the human soleus muscle. Medicina (Buenos Aires) 36:443, 1976.
23. SLOMIC, A.; ROSENFALCK, A. & BUCHTAL, F. - Electrical and mechanical responses of normal and myasthenic muscles. Brain Res. 10:1, 1968.
24. WUERKER, R. B.; Mc PHEDRAN, A. M. & HENNEMAN, E. - Properties of motor units in a heterogeneous pale muscle (m. gastrocnemious) of the cat. J. Neurophysiol. 28:85, 1965.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
30 Aug 2012
Date of issue
June 1977

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] 1. ANDERSEN, P. & SEARS, T. A. - The mechanical properties and innervation of fast and slow motor units in the intercostal muscles of the cat. J. Physiol. 173:114, 1964.

[2] 2. BOTELHO, S.; BECKETT, S. B. & BENDLER, B. - Mechanical and electrical responses of intact thenar muscles to indirect stimuli. Neurology (Minneapolis) 10:601, 1960.

[3] 3. BOTELHO, S. & CANDER, L. - Post-tetanic potentiation before and during ischaemia in intact human skeletal muscle. J. Appl. Physiol. 6:221, 1953.

[4] 4. BUERKE, R. E. - Motor unit types of cat triceps surae muscle. J. Physiol. 193:141, 1967.

[5] 5. BUCHTAL, F. & SCHMALBRUCH, H. - Spectrum of contraction times of different fibres bundles in the brachial biceps and triceps muscles of man. Nature 222:89, 1969.

[6] 6. BUCHTAL, F.; SCHMALBRUCH, H. & KAMIENIECKA, Z. - Contraction times and fiber types in patients with progressive muscular dystrophy. Neurology (Minneapolis) 21:131, 1971.

[7] 7. BUCHTAL, F.; SCHMALBRUCH, H. & KAMIENIECKA, Z. - Contraction times and fiber types in neurogenic paresis. Neurology (Minneapolis) 21:58, 1971.

[8] 8. BULLER, A. J.; DORNHOST, A. C; EDWARDS, R.; KERR, D. & WHELAN, R. F. - Fast and slow muscles in mamais. Nature 183:1516, 1959.

[9] 9. BULLER, A. J.; ECCLES, J. C. & ECCLES, R. M. - Differentiation of fast and slow muscles in the cat hind-limb. J. Physiol. 150:399, 1960.

[10] 10. CHRISTENSEN, E. - Topography of terminal motor innervation in striated muscles from stillborn infants. Am J. Physic. Med. 38:65, 1959.

[11] 11. DESMEDT, J. & HAINANT, K. - Kinetics of myofilaments activation in potentiated contraction: staircase phenomenon in human skeletal muscle. Nature 217:529, 1968.

[12] 12. FEINSTEIN. B.; LINDEGARD, B.; NYMAN, E. & WOHLFART, G. - Morphologic studies of motor units in normal human muscles. Acta Anat. 23:127, 1955.

[13] 13. LAMBERT, E.; UNDERDAHL, O.; BECKETT, S. & MEDEROS, L. - A study of the ankle jerk in myxoedema. J. Clin. Endocr. 11:1186, 1951.

[14] 14. MARSDEN, C. D. & MEADOWS. J. C. - The effect of adrenaline on the contraction of human muscle. J. Physiol. 207:429, 1970.

[15] 15. MERTON, P. A. - Voluntary strengh and fatigue. J. Physiol. 23:553, 1954.

[16] 16. MERTON, P. A. & PANPIGLIONI, G. - Strengh and Fatigue. Nature 66:527, 1950.

[17] 17. Mc COMAS, A. J.; SICA, R. E. P.; Mc NABB, A.; GOLDBERG, W & UPTON, A. - Evidence for reversible motoneurone dysfunction in thyrotoxicosis. J. Neurol. Neuros. Psychiat. 37:548, 1974.

[18] 18. Mc COMAS, A. J. & THOMAS. H. C. - Fast and slow twitch muscles in man. J. Neurol. Sci. 7:301, 1968.

[19] 19. RANVIER, L. - Proprietés et structures differents des muscles rouges et des muscles blancs chez les lapins et chez les raies. C. R. Acad. Sci. (Paris) 77:1030, 1873.

[20] 20. SICA, R. E. P. & Mc COMAS, A. J. - Fast and slow twitch units in a human muscle. J. Neurol. Neurol. Psychiat. 34:113, 1971.

[21] 21. SICA, R. E. P.; Mc COMAS, A. J.; UPTON, A. & LONGMIRE, D. - Motor unit estimations in small muscles of the hand. J. Neurol. Neurol. Psychiat. 37:55, 1974.

[22] 22. SICA, R. E. P. & SANZ, O. P. - The effects of ageing upon the human soleus muscle. Medicina (Buenos Aires) 36:443, 1976.

[23] 23. SLOMIC, A.; ROSENFALCK, A. & BUCHTAL, F. - Electrical and mechanical responses of normal and myasthenic muscles. Brain Res. 10:1, 1968.

[24] 24. WUERKER, R. B.; Mc PHEDRAN, A. M. & HENNEMAN, E. - Properties of motor units in a heterogeneous pale muscle (m. gastrocnemious) of the cat. J. Neurophysiol. 28:85, 1965.

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Mechanical responses of human hypothenar and calf muscles in normal and pathological states

Abstracts

Publication Dates