Walter Collin, Carroll Jamie, Cramberg Michael, Houser Jeremy J, Loguda-Summers Debra, Young Bruce A
Department of Anatomy, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO 63501, USA.
Academic Technologies, A.T. Still University, Kirksville, MO 63501, USA.
Biology (Basel). 2024 Dec 18;13(12):1062. doi: 10.3390/biology13121062.
This study was undertaken to explore the forces acting on the pes during pedal anchoring and to discern if pedal anchoring required the activation of the intrinsic pedal musculature. Replica feet equipped with strain gauges were moved over mud substrate, mimicking locomotion and pedal anchoring. Quantification of the substrate tracks demonstrated that they were similar to those made by freely moving , that the locomotor and pedal anchoring tracks were significantly different, and that the composition of the artificial feet significantly altered the tracks. Strain gauges revealed significantly different forces at different locations (e.g., digit vs. heel) on the pes and between locomotor and pedal anchoring motions. Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrate that the forces acting on the pes during pedal anchoring are different from those during locomotion. Furthermore, varying the composition of the feet used in this study demonstrated the importance of flexion at the metatarsal/phalangeal joints. Resistance to this flexion in living crocodylians requires active muscle contraction, meaning that pedal anchoring is an active, not passive, behavior. These results offer the first insights into the mechanics of pedal anchoring and demonstrate how technologies like 3D printing can be applied to established problems like fossil trackways.
本研究旨在探究在踏板锚定过程中作用于足部的力，并确定踏板锚定是否需要激活足部固有肌肉组织。配备应变片的足部复制品在泥质基质上移动，模拟运动和踏板锚定。对基质痕迹的量化表明，它们与自由移动产生的痕迹相似，运动和踏板锚定痕迹有显著差异，并且人工足部的组成显著改变了痕迹。应变片显示，足部不同位置（如趾部与足跟）以及运动和踏板锚定运动之间的力有显著差异。总体而言，本研究结果表明，踏板锚定过程中作用于足部的力与运动过程中的力不同。此外，改变本研究中使用的足部组成证明了跖骨/指骨关节处屈曲的重要性。现存鳄鱼对这种屈曲的抵抗需要肌肉主动收缩，这意味着踏板锚定是一种主动行为，而非被动行为。这些结果首次揭示了踏板锚定的力学原理，并展示了3D打印等技术如何应用于诸如化石足迹等既定问题。
