Key result
Ankle rotation uniformly elongates medial gastrocnemius sarcomeres, coinciding with passive torque onset beyond 2.1 µm.
Why the study?
Elongation of musculotendinous substructures during stretching determines acute and long-term effects, but how elongation is distributed across rat medial gastrocnemius substructures and relates to plantarflexion resistance during joint rotation was unknown.
Sarcomeres lengthen uniformly across rat medial gastrocnemius regions during stretching, and sarcomere length correlates with passive ankle torque.
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May inform passive stretching intensity in rehabilitation; extends evidence for uniform sarcomere mechanics in skeletal muscle.
Geusebroek et al. (2026) studied this question. Ankle rotation-induced medial gastrocnemius lengthening causes uniform sarcomere elongation across regions, with sarcomere lengthening beyond 2.1 µm coinciding with passive torque onset.
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