Kubo K, Teshima T, Hirose N, Tsunoda N
Life Science (Sports Sciences), University of Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Physical Education, Kokushikan University, Tokyo, Japan.
Int J Sports Med. 2014 Sep;35(10):828-34. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1367011. Epub 2014 Feb 27.
The purpose of this study was to investigate growth changes in human plantar flexor muscle and tendons. In addition, we ascertained whether growth changes in muscle and tendon were more closely related to skeletal age than chronological age. 22 elementary school children (ESC), 19 junior high school students (JHS), and 23 young adults (ADT) men participated in this study. Maximal strain and hysteresis of tendon structures and cross-sectional area of Achilles tendon were measured using ultrasonography. In addition, skeletal age was assessed using Tanner-Whitehouse III method. Maximal strain of ESC was significantly greater than that of other groups, while no significant difference was observed between JHS and ADT. There was no difference in hysteresis among 3 groups. Relative cross-sectional area (to body mass(2/3)) of ADT was significantly smaller than that of other groups. For ESC and JHS, measured variables of muscle and tendon were significantly correlated to both chronological and skeletal ages. These results suggested that immature musculoskeletal system was protected by more extensible and larger tendon structures in ESC and only by larger tendon structures in JHS, respectively. Furthermore, there were no differences in correlation coefficient values between measured variables of muscle and tendon and chronological or skeletal ages.
本研究的目的是调查人类足底屈肌和肌腱的生长变化。此外，我们确定了肌肉和肌腱的生长变化与骨骼年龄的关系是否比与实际年龄的关系更为密切。22名小学生（ESC）、19名初中生（JHS）和23名年轻成年人（ADT）男性参与了本研究。使用超声测量肌腱结构的最大应变和滞后现象以及跟腱的横截面积。此外，使用坦纳 - 怀特豪斯三世方法评估骨骼年龄。ESC的最大应变显著大于其他组，而JHS和ADT之间未观察到显著差异。三组之间的滞后现象没有差异。ADT的相对横截面积（相对于体重(2/3)）显著小于其他组。对于ESC和JHS，肌肉和肌腱的测量变量与实际年龄和骨骼年龄均显著相关。这些结果表明，未成熟的肌肉骨骼系统分别通过ESC中更具延展性和更大的肌腱结构以及JHS中仅更大的肌腱结构得到保护。此外，肌肉和肌腱的测量变量与实际年龄或骨骼年龄之间的相关系数值没有差异。
