Influence of indentation test factors on the mechanical response of the skin / Influencia de los factores experimentales de la indentación en la respuesta mecánica de la piel / Influência dos fatores experimentais da indentação na resposta mecânica da pele

Abstract This study proposes in vivo tests and design of experiments to determine the influence of experimental factors on the mechanical response of the soft tissue. The experimental factors considered are: room temperature (A), indentation velocity (B), indenter temperature (C), pump pressure (D) and muscle activation (E). An inverse method was developed to obtain the constants for constitutive equations of a multilayer biological model (skin, hypodermis, and muscle) through the use of indentation tests in combination with a finite element method. For each combination of the experimental factors, two groups of constants were established from the inverse method. Sixteen combinations of experimental conditions and their corresponding constants for the Mooney-Rivlin constitutive equations were obtained to be used in further numerical models. The factor D and factor interactions ADE, CDE, and ACDE were statistically significant with respect to skin mechanical response. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is not a current equation able to represent the mechanical properties of the skin under all the experimental conditions considered in this study

Resumen Este estudio propone pruebas in vivo y diseño de experimentos para determinar la influencia de los factores experimentales en la respuesta mecánica de tejidos blandos. Los factores experimentales considerados son: temperatura ambiente (A) velocidad de indentación (B), temperatura del indentador (C), presión de bombeo (D) y activación muscular (E). Se desarrolló un método inverso con el fin de obtener las constantes para las ecuaciones constitutivas de un modelo biológico de multicapa (piel, hipodermis y músculo) a través del uso de pruebas de indentación en combinación con el método del elemento finito. Para cada combinación de los factores experimentales, se establecieron dos grupos de constantes del método inverso. Se obtuvieron dieciséis combinaciones de condiciones experimentales y sus correspondientes constantes para las ecuaciones constitutivas de Moorney-Rivlin, que se pueden usar en futuros modelos numéricos. El factor D y las interacciones de los factores ADE, CDE y ACDE fueron estadísticamente significativas con respecto a la respuesta mecánica de la piel. En consecuencia, se puede concluir que no hay actualmente una ecuación capaz de representar las propiedades mecánicas de la piel bajo las condiciones experimentales consideradas en este estudio.

Resumo Este estudo propõe ensaios in vivo e desenho de experimentos para determinar a influência dos fatores experimentais na resposta mecânica de tecidos moles. Os fatores experimentais considerados são: temperatura ambiente (A), velocidade de indentação (B), temperatura de indentação (C), pressão de bomba (D) e ativação muscular (E). Desenvolveu-se um método invertido com o fim de obter as constantes para a equação constitutivas de um modelo biológico de multicapa (pele, hipoderme e músculo) por meio do uso de ensaios de indentacao em combinação com o método do elemento finito. Para cada combinação dos fatores experimentais, se estabeleceram dois grupos de constantes do método inverso. Obtiveram-se dezesseis combinações de condições experimentais e suas constantes correspondentes para as equações constitutivas de Mooney- Rivlin, que podem ser usadas em futuros modelos numéricos. O fator D e as interações dos fatores ADE, CDE e ACDE foram estatisticamente significativas com respeito a resposta mecânica da pele. Assim sendo, se pode concluir que não há atualmente uma equação capaz de representar as propriedades mecânicas da pele baixo as condições experimentais consideradas neste estudo.

VALIDITY OF LOCATION OF MUSCULAR UNITS ESTIMATED THROUGH INVERSE ANALYSIS OF SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAMS / 体力科学

We have developed a method for estimating the depth and intensity of muscular unit represented as equivalent current dipoles by the inverse analysis of surface electromyograms (EMGs) . In this study, the validity of the locations of current dipoles estimated through the inverse analysis was verified by animal experiments. Surface motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) were recorded from the gastrocnemius muscle activated by electrical stimulation at the ventral root of lumbar spinal cord (L4 or L5) of rats. After recording the surface MUAPs for the inverse analysis and glycogen depletion of active muscle fibers by repeated electrical stimulation, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was used to determine the position of muscle fibers belonging to an active single motor unit. In the results of the inverse analysis, the values of ‘goodness of fit’ between measured and calculated MUAP were 71%, 79% and 85%. Estimated depths of current dipoles ranged from 1.8 mm to 5.9 mm. The locations estimated through the inverse analysis were more medial and shallower than the actual distribution of active muscle fibers determined by PAS staining. These errors were probably caused by the effects of the boundary in the model, the relationship between the measurement area and the location of an active motor unit, and the artifacts such as deformation of the muscle during dissection and freezing.

MUSCULAR UNIT SIZE AND FIBER DENSITY DEDUCED FROM SIMULATION OF INVERSE ANALYSIS OF SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAMS / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to noninvasively extract information about the size and muscle fiber density of muscular units through the inverse analysis of surface electromyograms. Surface motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) were recorded with a multi-channel electrode array arranged along the circumference direction of the biceps brachii. The depth and intensity of equivalent current dipoles were estimated through the inverse analysis of surface MUAPs. The simulation of inverse analysis of surface potentials generated by the muscular unit models showed that the relationship between the depth and the intensity depends on the muscular unit size and muscle fiber density.<BR>In the simulation, we systematically varied the model parameters including distance from the skin, radius, and fiber density and used the inverse analysis to estimate the depth and intensity of current dipoles. And, our method to estimate the radius and fiber density of muscular units using estimated depth and intensity is demonstrated. Mean values (± SD) estimated from the surface MUAPs were 3.0±1.8mm for depth and 13.8±32.0nAm for intensity. The estimated distance ranged from slightly less than 1 mm to slightly more than 2 mm. The estimated radius ranged from 1.8 to 4.6 mm and fiber density from 0.7 to 5.4 fibers/mm<SUP>2</SUP>.