Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation

Abstract Muscle force and fatigue modeling and simulation are powerful tools for rehabilitation, sports performance, ergonomics, and injury prevention. However, their accuracy is challenged by dynamic mechanical and physiological factors. Since musculoskeletal models are typically derived from cadav...

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Main Authors: Florian Michaud, Gonzalo Márquez, Manuel A. Giraldez-García, Javier Cuadrado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-025-01691-z
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author Florian Michaud
Gonzalo Márquez
Manuel A. Giraldez-García
Javier Cuadrado
author_facet Florian Michaud
Gonzalo Márquez
Manuel A. Giraldez-García
Javier Cuadrado
author_sort Florian Michaud
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Muscle force and fatigue modeling and simulation are powerful tools for rehabilitation, sports performance, ergonomics, and injury prevention. However, their accuracy is challenged by dynamic mechanical and physiological factors. Since musculoskeletal models are typically derived from cadaver data and scaled to individuals, careful subject-specific calibration is recommended to achieve accurate simulation results. This study investigates how different muscle models and calibration strategies affect the accuracy of muscle force estimation at the elbow level. Two models—a simplified static model and a rigid-tendon Hill-type model—were compared. Several calibration approaches were tested using isometric and isokinetic measurements to identify the parameters that most enhance model performance. The models were used to estimate muscle forces, and their outputs were compared to experimental data collected from seventeen healthy subjects. In the first phase, estimations were made during short maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) without fatigue, in order to isolate muscle force from fatigue effects. In the second phase, the calibrated parameters from each strategy were used to estimate muscle forces and fatigue during a short-duration, high-intensity dynamic exercise by incorporating a muscle fatigue model. The highest accuracy was achieved with the Hill-type model, which involved refining individual muscle length and force parameters based on concentric and eccentric MVCs and adjusting two parameters of the force–velocity relationship. However, incorporating subject-specific muscle fatigue parameters did not significantly improve force estimation under fatigue conditions.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1743-0003
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher BMC
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series Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
spelling doaj-art-41d2d2682a88460eaeba50b22388e7082025-08-20T03:46:04ZengBMCJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation1743-00032025-07-0122111810.1186/s12984-025-01691-zComparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimationFlorian Michaud0Gonzalo Márquez1Manuel A. Giraldez-García2Javier Cuadrado3Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering, CITENI, Campus Industrial de Ferrol, Universidade da CoruñaDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Physical Education, Universidade da CoruñaPerformance and Health Group, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, Universidade da CoruñaLaboratory of Mechanical Engineering, CITENI, Campus Industrial de Ferrol, Universidade da CoruñaAbstract Muscle force and fatigue modeling and simulation are powerful tools for rehabilitation, sports performance, ergonomics, and injury prevention. However, their accuracy is challenged by dynamic mechanical and physiological factors. Since musculoskeletal models are typically derived from cadaver data and scaled to individuals, careful subject-specific calibration is recommended to achieve accurate simulation results. This study investigates how different muscle models and calibration strategies affect the accuracy of muscle force estimation at the elbow level. Two models—a simplified static model and a rigid-tendon Hill-type model—were compared. Several calibration approaches were tested using isometric and isokinetic measurements to identify the parameters that most enhance model performance. The models were used to estimate muscle forces, and their outputs were compared to experimental data collected from seventeen healthy subjects. In the first phase, estimations were made during short maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) without fatigue, in order to isolate muscle force from fatigue effects. In the second phase, the calibrated parameters from each strategy were used to estimate muscle forces and fatigue during a short-duration, high-intensity dynamic exercise by incorporating a muscle fatigue model. The highest accuracy was achieved with the Hill-type model, which involved refining individual muscle length and force parameters based on concentric and eccentric MVCs and adjusting two parameters of the force–velocity relationship. However, incorporating subject-specific muscle fatigue parameters did not significantly improve force estimation under fatigue conditions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-025-01691-zMuscle force dynamicsMuscle fatigue modelBiomechanicsMusculotendon modelRehabilitationSport performance
spellingShingle Florian Michaud
Gonzalo Márquez
Manuel A. Giraldez-García
Javier Cuadrado
Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Muscle force dynamics
Muscle fatigue model
Biomechanics
Musculotendon model
Rehabilitation
Sport performance
title Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
title_full Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
title_fullStr Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
title_full_unstemmed Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
title_short Comparison of subject-specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
title_sort comparison of subject specific musculoskeletal model calibration strategies on muscle force and fatigue estimation
topic Muscle force dynamics
Muscle fatigue model
Biomechanics
Musculotendon model
Rehabilitation
Sport performance
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-025-01691-z
work_keys_str_mv AT florianmichaud comparisonofsubjectspecificmusculoskeletalmodelcalibrationstrategiesonmuscleforceandfatigueestimation
AT gonzalomarquez comparisonofsubjectspecificmusculoskeletalmodelcalibrationstrategiesonmuscleforceandfatigueestimation
AT manuelagiraldezgarcia comparisonofsubjectspecificmusculoskeletalmodelcalibrationstrategiesonmuscleforceandfatigueestimation
AT javiercuadrado comparisonofsubjectspecificmusculoskeletalmodelcalibrationstrategiesonmuscleforceandfatigueestimation