Myofascial force transmission

Scientific basis

Most of a muscle’s force passes through its tendon. A fraction, however, can be transmitted through the connective tissue sheaths, the septa and the links with neighboring muscles: this is epimuscular transmission (Huijing, 2009). Nearby synergist muscles can thus exchange part of their force (Maas and Sandercock, 2010).

This transmission is real but additional: its magnitude depends on joint position, level of contraction and the muscles involved, and it decreases with distance (Krause et al., 2016; Wilke et al., 2018). It would be an overstatement to present it as dominant over the tendon pathway.

Blue Portance / SBNFA™ reading

The SBNFA™ reads this transmission as a local coupling: one region can influence its neighbors, without force spreading undiminished throughout the body. The hypothesis that this coupling contributes to stress redistribution between pelvis, trunk and thighs when sitting belongs to the SBNFA™ reading.

Contribution to the analysis of sitting

The analysis looks at the regions neighboring an area of discomfort, because a local change can influence others. It cannot measure force transmission.

Not to be confused with

Myofascial continuity, the anatomical connection that makes this transmission possible; stress distribution, the spread of a load across space; dissipation, the conversion of energy during deformation.

Related terms

Biotensegrity

Sources and scope

• Huijing (2009): epimuscular myofascial force transmission, a historical review (J Biomech)
• Maas and Sandercock (2010): force transmission between synergistic muscles through connective tissue linkages (J Biomed Biotechnol)
• Krause et al. (2016): intermuscular force transmission along myofascial chains, a systematic review (Journal of Anatomy)
• Wilke et al. (2018): fascia and its force transmission capacity (J Appl Physiol)