Length-tension relationship

The contractile elements in smooth muscle are not organized into sarcomeres. Furthermore, the resting length of smooth muscle is much shorter than its optimal length. In other words, this muscle can be significantly stretched and the amount of tension developed may actually increase because the muscle is closer to its optimal length. Finally, thick filaments are longer in smooth muscle than they are in skeletal muscle. As a result, overlap 

Guyton, A.C. and Hall, J.E., Textbook of Medical Physiology, 10th ed., W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2000. 

Lombard, J.H. and Rusch, N.J., Cells, nerves and muscles, in Physiology Secrets, Raff, H., Ed., Hanley and Belfus, Inc., Philadelphia, 1999, chap. 1. 

Rhoades, R. and Pflanzer, R., Human Physiology, 4th ed., Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 2003. 

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Figure 7. Length tension relationship. A schematic diagram showing how force varies with sarcomere length, and how this is explained by the relative amount of overlap between the thick and the thin filaments, and hence the numbers of myosin crossbridges in the thick filaments that can interact with actin in the thin filaments.

Describe the factors that influence the strength of skeletal muscle contraction including multiple motor unit summation, asynchronous motor unit summation, frequency of nerve stimulation, length-tension relationship, and diameter of the muscle fiber... 

Describe the length-tension relationship in smooth muscle... 

Length-tension relationship Narrow Broad Broad... 

Cjeneral concepts of transfemoral socket design include (1) proper contouring to facilitate remnant muscle function, (2) stabilized force application so as to apply load to the skeletal structures as much as possible, (3) stretching the hip muscles for improved functionality (i.e., length-tension relationship for muscle ), (4) maximized contact area so as to minimize soft tissue pressmes, and (5) adequate contact between the distal limb and socket walls so as to prevent edema. 

The patients who required a tracheostomy may subsequently manage spontaneous ventilation with improvements in their underlying condition and respiratory muscle strength and endurance. Resolution of dynamic hyperinflation also improves the length-tension relationships of the inspiratory muscles (56). Strengthening of the upper extremities or the inspiratory muscles has provided mixed results (57,58). 

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