Oscillations in the discharge frequency of cat primary muscle spindle afferents during the dynamic phase of a ramp-and-hold stretch

The key role of muscle spindles in the pathogenesis of myofascial trigger points according to ramp-and-hold stretch and drug intervention in a rat model

This study investigated whether abnormal peak inversion spontaneous potentials (PISPs) recorded at resting myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) stem from the discharge of muscle spindles. Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups. Five groups underwent MTrP modeling intervention, whereas one group did not receive intervention and was duly designated as the blank control. After model construction, five rat models were randomly subjected to ramp-and-hold stretch tests, succinylcholine injection, eperisone hydrochloride injection, saline injection, and blank drug intervention. By contrast, the rats in the blank control group were subjected to ramp-and-hold stretch tests as a control. Frequencies and amplitudes of PISPs were recorded pre- and post-interventions and compared with those of the blank group. Stretch tests showed that the depolarization time and amplitude of PISPs ranged from 0.4 ms to 0.9 ms and from 80 uV to 140 μV, respectively. However, no PISPs were observed in the control rats. The frequency of PISPs in the ramp and hold phases and the first second after the hold phase was higher than that before stretching (p < 0.01). Succinylcholine and eperisone exerted excitatory and inhibitory effects on PISPs, respectively. In the group injected with 0.9% saline, no considerable differences of the PISPs were observed during the entire observation period. In conclusion, PISPs recorded at resting MTrPs are closely related to muscle spindles. The formation of MTrPs may be an important factor that regulate dysfunctional muscle spindles.

Epimuscular myofascial force transmission between antagonistic and synergistic muscles can explain movement limitation in spastic paresis

Details and concepts of intramuscular, extramuscular and intermuscular myofascial force transmission are reviewed. Some new experimental data are added regarding myofascial force transmission between antagonistic muscles across the interosseal membrane of the lower hind limb of the rat. Combined with other result presented in this issue, it can be concluded that myofascial force transmission occurs between all muscles within a limb segment. This means that force generated within sarcomeres of an antagonistic muscle may be exerted at the tendon of target muscle or its synergists. Some, in vivo, but initial indications for intersegmental myofascial force transmission are discussed. The concept of myofascial force transmission as an additional load on the muscle proved to be fruitful in the analysis of its muscular effects. In spastic paresis and for healthy muscles distal myofascial loads are often encountered, but cannot fully explain the movement limitations in spastic paresis. Therefore, the concept of simultaneous and opposing myofascial loads is analyzed and used to formulate a hypothesis for explaining the movement limitation: Myofascially transmitted antagonistic force is borne by the spastic muscle, but subsequently transmitted again to distal tendons of synergistic muscles.

Changes in primary muscle spindle ending excitability induced by a ramp-and-hold stretch

36 primary (Ia) muscle spindle afferents from the tibial anterior muscle of the cat were subjected to a ramp-and-hold stretch (stretch rate 10 mm/s, stretch amplitude 5 or 8.5 mm) of the muscle, on which a sinusoidal stretch (50 Hz) of four different amplitudes (25, 50, 250 and 500 microns) was superimposed. In 54 discharge patterns a Ia afferent subjected to a ramp-and-hold stretch with a sinusoidal stretch superimposed responded only to the superimposed sinusoidal stretch. In 25 of the cases the Ia afferent responded with an one-to-one driven action potential (AP) and in 29 of the cases with two APs per sinusoidal stretch. For these 54 discharge patterns the phase of the sinusoidal cycle was determined at which each AP occurred. Where the Ia afferent responded with one AP per cycle an accelerating phase advance was observed during the ramp stage of the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch and a decelerating phase advance during the plateau. This phase shift means that the excitability of the site generating the AP increased during the ramp stage and decreased during the plateau. If the Ia afferent responded with two APs per superimposed cycle, the second AP per cycle evinced a decelerating phase advance during the ramp and an accelerating phase advance during the plateau. The phase of the second AP per cycle showed a second, contrary change in excitability at the AP generating site. The excitability decreased during the ramp and increased during the plateau. The first kind of excitability change is interpreted as a consequence of an inward current at the AP generating site. The second, contrary type of excitability points to an interplay between an inward and an outward current. An increasing outward current lowers the excitability for the second AP per cycle during the ramp. A decreasing outward current raises the excitability during the plateau.