Cadaveric study of 28 lower limb muscles in three human specimens measuring fiber length, pennation angle, physiologic cross-sectional area, and muscle length-to-fiber length ratios — asking how architectural design determines a muscle's capacity for tension production versus velocity of shortening.
When planning tendon transfer or muscle transposition, match the donor muscle by fiber length (velocity potential) and cross-sectional area (force potential) to the intended function — not by mass alone; a mismatch predicts inadequate excursion, abnormal resting tension, and progressive sarcomere remodeling that undermines the repair.
Cadaveric study of 28 lower limb muscles in three human specimens measuring fiber length, pennation angle, physiologic cross-sectional area, and muscle length-to-fiber length ratios — asking how architectural design determines a muscle's capacity for tension production versus velocity of shortening.
When planning tendon transfer or muscle transposition, match the donor muscle by fiber length (velocity potential) and cross-sectional area (force potential) to the intended function — not by mass alone; a mismatch predicts inadequate excursion, abnormal resting tension, and progressive sarcomere remodeling that undermines the repair.