Sensitivity of muscle force estimates to variations in muscle-tendon properties

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity of muscle force estimates to changes in some of the parameters which are commonly used to describe models of muscle-tendon actuation. The sensitivity analysis was performed on three parameters: optimal muscle-fiber length, muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), and tendon rest length. The muscles selected for the analysis were posterior gluteus medius/minimus, vasti, soleus, and sartorius. Each parameter was perturbed from its nominal value, and an optimization problem was solved to determine the relative influence of each parameter on the calculated values of muscle force. Muscle forces were calculated for a simulated cycle o..