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Table 1 Basic Musculoskeletal Design Parameters Affecting Muscle Function

From: Robot-assisted assessment of muscle strength

Muscle Property Affected

Design Parameter

Maximum force, tension, and moment

Physiological cross sectional area (number of parallel sarcomeres)

Areal distribution of muscle fiber types

Force

Pennation angle

Fatigability

Fiber type distribution (number and area)

Maximum moment

Moment arm

Velocity of excursion

Muscle fiber length (total number of serial sarcomeres) 

Areal distribution of muscle fiber types

Submaximum force at given shortening velocity

Muscle fiber length

Range of Motion

Muscle fiber length

Tendon length

Damping, energy storage

Tendon length

Relative stiffness of a muscle-tendon unit

Tendon length/muscle fiber length

Relative muscle-joint properties

Fiber length/moment arm