Abstract:
This study examines how internal morphological features of skeletal muscle, specifically aponeurosis geometry, influence susceptibility to strain-related injuries using a detailed biomechanical modeling approach. The biceps femoris longhead (BFLH), a hamstring muscle highly prone to injury, was modeled in three dimensions using MR imaging to develop a finite element (FE) representation. The study quantified muscle fiber stretch distributions during lengthening contractions, focusing on variations in aponeurosis dimensions (width, length, and thickness). Findings revealed that the disparity in width between the narrow proximal and wider distal aponeuroses significantly contributes to localized high strains near the proximal myotendinous junction (MTJ), aligning with common clinical injury sites. The simplified models confirmed that aponeurosis width plays a critical role in altering tissue-level mechanics. These biomechanical insights suggest that muscle injury susceptibility is strongly governed by internal structural configurations, offering a framework for improving prevention strategies and rehabilitation protocols based on muscle architecture.
