Aging Effects on the Achilles Tendon Moment Arm during Walking

The Achilles tendon (AT) moment arm transforms triceps surae muscle forces into a moment about the ankle which is critical for functional activities like walking. Moreover, the AT moment arm changes continuously during walking, as it depends on both ankle joint rotation and triceps surae muscle loading (presumably due to bulging of the muscle belly). Here, we posit that aging negatively effects the architecturally complex AT moment arm during walking, which thereby contributes to well-documented reductions in ankle moment generation during push-off.
Source: Journal of Biomechanics - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research