Tendon stiffness: methods of measurement and significance for the control of movement. A review.

An appraisal of the role of tendons in transmitting muscle tension to skeletal parts during posture and movement requires accurate knowledge of the mechanical characteristics of the tendon. Here the most important property is tendon stiffness. While it is relatively easy to measure the stiffness of an isolated segment of tendon, more sophisticated methods must be sought to take into account the whole length of tendon, including its intramuscular portion. Two methods are currently available for measurement of whole tendon stiffness: each has a limited range of muscle tensions over which it appears to provide reliable values, one method being better at low tensions, the other at high tensions. Some controversy remains about the precise values obtained in the mid-tension range covered by both methods. Nevertheless it is now possible to achieve reasonable estimates of tendon stiffness over the whole working range of the muscle. An important consideration which has emerged from the discussion is that at low tensions the tendon is much less stiff than at higher tensions.