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Functional anatomy and muscle moment arms of the thoracic limb of an elite sprinting athlete: the racing greyhound (Canis familiaris).
Functional anatomy and muscle moment arms of the thoracic limb of an elite sprinting athlete: the racing greyhound (Canis familiaris).
- Source :
-
Journal of anatomy [J Anat] 2008 Oct; Vol. 213 (4), pp. 373-82. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- We provide quantitative muscle-tendon architecture and geometry data for the racing greyhound thoracic limb. Muscle mass, belly length, fascicle lengths, pennation angles and moment arms were measured, as were tendon masses and lengths. Maximum isometric force and maximum power were estimated for muscles, and maximum stress and strain were estimated for tendons. Results are compared with other fast quadrupedal runners, and to previously published data in mixed-breed dogs. The implications of the functional adaptations of the greyhound thoracic limb for sprinting performance are discussed. The thoracic limb was found to benefit from a similar proportion of locomotor muscle mass to the pelvic limb, suggesting that it may be used to some extent in propulsion, or alternatively that stabilisation is very important in this animal. Extrinsic muscles, especially latissimus dorsi and pectoralis profundus, were predicted to be powerful and important for generating net positive work during accelerations. Proximal biarticular muscles show specialisation toward preventing collapse of the shoulder and elbow joints to enable strut-like limb function, or some form of dynamic control. Distal muscles did not appear specialised for elastic energy storage, a functional difference to pelvic limb muscles, and the equivalents in horse thoracic limbs. The greyhound thoracic limb appears to possess substantial differences from both that of more 'sub-maximal specialist' quadrupeds, and from the greyhound pelvic limb.
- Subjects :
- Adaptation, Physiological
Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Dogs physiology
Isometric Contraction
Joints anatomy & histology
Joints physiology
Muscle, Skeletal physiology
Range of Motion, Articular
Tendons anatomy & histology
Tendons physiology
Dogs anatomy & histology
Forelimb
Gait
Muscle, Skeletal anatomy & histology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1469-7580
- Volume :
- 213
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of anatomy
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 19034998
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00962.x