Determination of muscle shape deformations of the tibialis anterior during dynamic contractions using 3D ultrasound

Purpose In this paper, we introduce a novel method for determining 3D deformations of the human tibialis anterior (TA) muscle during dynamic movements using 3D ultrasound.Materials and Methods An existing automated 3D ultrasound system is used for data acquisition, which consists of three moveable axes, along which the probe can move. While the subjects perform continuous plantar- and dorsiflexion movements in two different controlled velocities, the ultrasound probe sweeps cyclically from the ankle to the knee along the anterior shin. The ankle joint angle can be determined using reflective motion capture markers. Since we considered the movement direction of the foot, i.e., active or passive TA, four conditions occur: slow active, slow passive, fast active, fast passive. By employing an algorithm which defines ankle joint angle intervals, i.e., intervals of range of motion (ROM), 3D images of the volumes during movement can be reconstructed.Results We found constant muscle volumes between different muscle lengths, i.e., ROM intervals. The results show an increase in mean cross-sectional area (CSA) for TA muscle shortening. Furthermore, a shift in maximum CSA towards the proximal side of the muscle could be observed for muscle shortening. We found significantly different maximum CSA values between the fast active and all other conditions, which might be caused by higher muscle activation due to the faster velocity.Conclusion In summary, we present a method for determining muscle volume deformation during dynamic contraction using ultrasound, which will enable future empirical studies and 3D computational models of skeletal muscles.