Konow Nicolai, Cheney Jorn A, Roberts Thomas J, Waldman J Rhea S, Swartz Sharon M
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Providence, RI 02912, USA
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2015 Oct 7;282(1816):20151832. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1832.
Tendon springs influence locomotor movements in many terrestrial animals, but their roles in locomotion through fluids as well as in small-bodied mammals are less clear. We measured muscle, tendon and joint mechanics in an elbow extensor of a small fruit bat during ascending flight. At the end of downstroke, the tendon was stretched by elbow flexion as the wing was folded. At the end of upstroke, elastic energy was recovered via tendon recoil and extended the elbow, contributing to unfurling the wing for downstroke. Compared with a hypothetical 'string-like' system lacking series elastic compliance, the tendon spring conferred a 22.5% decrease in muscle fascicle strain magnitude. Our findings demonstrate tendon elastic action in a small flying mammal and expand our understanding of the occurrence and action of series elastic actuator mechanisms in fluid-based locomotion.
肌腱弹簧影响许多陆生动物的运动，但它们在通过流体的运动以及小型哺乳动物运动中的作用尚不清楚。我们测量了一只小型果蝠在上升飞行过程中肘部伸肌的肌肉、肌腱和关节力学。在向下冲程结束时，随着翅膀折叠，肘部弯曲使肌腱伸展。在向上冲程结束时，通过肌腱反冲恢复弹性能量并伸展肘部，有助于展开翅膀进行向下冲程。与缺乏串联弹性顺应性的假设“线状”系统相比，肌腱弹簧使肌肉束应变幅度降低了22.5%。我们的研究结果证明了小型飞行哺乳动物中肌腱的弹性作用，并扩展了我们对基于流体的运动中串联弹性致动器机制的发生和作用的理解。
