An in Vitro Method for the Measurement of Sarcomere Length in Human Muscle

Abstract

A possible means of quantifying the surface electromyographic (EMG) signal is to try to relate it to the sarcomere length of the muscle, which is a function of muscle tension. The present work deals with the measurement of sarcomere length in human muscles. Sarcomere length is measured by using a thin sheet of muscle as a diffraction grating and obtaining and photographing its diffraction pattern using a modified light microscope. Samples of human muscle are available only from cadavers in the anatomical position, so a procedure for prediction of sarcomere length at other positions is described. The limitations of working with cadavaric tissue are outlined and discussed, and, for the readers unfamiliar with the structure and physiology of striated muscle, a brief description of this is given.