Assessment of Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties by Radial Displacement: The Case for Tensiomyography

Overview

Journal Sports Med

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2018 Apr 2

PMID 29605838

Citations 55

Authors

Lewis J Macgregor

Angus M Hunter

Claudio Orizio

Malcolm M Fairweather

Massimiliano Ditroilo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Skeletal muscle operates as a near-constant volume system; as such muscle shortening during contraction is transversely linked to radial deformation. Therefore, to assess contractile properties of skeletal muscle, radial displacement can be evoked and measured. Mechanomyography measures muscle radial displacement and during the last 20 years, tensiomyography has become the most commonly used and widely reported technique among the various methodologies of mechanomyography. Tensiomyography has been demonstrated to reliably measure peak radial displacement during evoked muscle twitch, as well as muscle twitch speed. A number of parameters can be extracted from the tensiomyography displacement/time curve and the most commonly used and reliable appear to be peak radial displacement and contraction time. The latter has been described as a valid non-invasive means of characterising skeletal muscle, based on fibre-type composition. Over recent years, applications of tensiomyography measurement within sport and exercise have appeared, with applications relating to injury, recovery and performance. Within the present review, we evaluate the perceived strengths and weaknesses of tensiomyography with regard to its efficacy within applied sports medicine settings. We also highlight future tensiomyography areas that require further investigation. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to critically examine the existing evidence surrounding tensiomyography as a tool within the field of sports medicine.

Citing Articles

The interaction of post-activation potentiation and fatigue on skeletal muscle twitch torque and displacement.

Langen G, Warschun F, Ueberschar O, Behringer M Front Physiol. 2025; 15:1527523.

PMID: 39949837 PMC: 11821631. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1527523.

The effects of eccentric phase tempo in squats on hypertrophy, strength, and contractile properties of the quadriceps femoris muscle.

Kojic F, Mandic D, Duric S Front Physiol. 2025; 15():1531926.

PMID: 39850448 PMC: 11754408. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1531926.

Functional and Lateral Asymmetry of the Knee Joint Muscles Measured Using Tensiomyography (TMG) in Professional Football Players of Different Playing Positions.

Pajovic L, Toskic L, Joksimovic A, Preljevic A, Joksimovic D, Dragosavljevic S Healthcare (Basel). 2025; 13(1.

PMID: 39791674 PMC: 11719494. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13010067.

A Comparison of Contractile Properties and Acute Muscle Fatigue Response in Adult Females with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.

Lee H, Lee S, Kim C, Jeon K Bioengineering (Basel). 2025; 11(12.

PMID: 39768020 PMC: 11672949. DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11121202.

Establishing reference values for tensiomyography-derived parameters in soccer players: insights from a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Paravlic A Biol Sport. 2025; 42(1):171-192.

PMID: 39758175 PMC: 11694203. DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2025.139853.

References

Alvarez-Diaz P, Alentorn-Geli E, Ramon S, Marin M, Steinbacher G, Rius M . Effects of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on neuromuscular tensiomyographic characteristics of the lower extremity in competitive male soccer players. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014; 23(11):3407-13. DOI: 10.1007/s00167-014-3165-4. View

Orizio C, Esposito F, Paganotti I, Marino L, Rossi B, Veicsteinas A . Electrically-elicited surface mechanomyogram in myotonic dystrophy. Ital J Neurol Sci. 1997; 18(4):185-90. DOI: 10.1007/BF02080462. View

Croisier J, Forthomme B, Namurois M, Vanderthommen M, Crielaard J . Hamstring muscle strain recurrence and strength performance disorders. Am J Sports Med. 2002; 30(2):199-203. DOI: 10.1177/03635465020300020901. View

Frangioni J, Kwan-Gett T, Dobrunz L, McMahon T . The mechanism of low-frequency sound production in muscle. Biophys J. 1987; 51(5):775-83. PMC: 1329965. DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3495(87)83404-5. View

Loturco I, Gil S, Laurino C, Roschel H, Kobal R, Cal Abad C . Differences in muscle mechanical properties between elite power and endurance athletes: a comparative study. J Strength Cond Res. 2014; 29(6):1723-8. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000803. View

Petrella R, Cunningham D, Vandervoort A, Paterson D . Comparison of twitch potentiation in the gastrocnemius of young and elderly men. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1989; 58(4):395-9. DOI: 10.1007/BF00643515. View

Morin J, Tomazin K, Edouard P, Millet G . Changes in running mechanics and spring-mass behavior induced by a mountain ultra-marathon race. J Biomech. 2011; 44(6):1104-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.01.028. View

Raeder C, Wiewelhove T, de Paula Simola R, Kellmann M, Meyer T, Pfeiffer M . Assessment of Fatigue and Recovery in Male and Female Athletes After 6 Days of Intensified Strength Training. J Strength Cond Res. 2016; 30(12):3412-3427. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001427. View

Calvo S, Quintero I, Herrero P . Effects of dry needling (DNHS technique) on the contractile properties of spastic muscles in a patient with stroke: a case report. Int J Rehabil Res. 2016; 39(4):372-376. DOI: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000185. View

10.

Shima N, Rice C, Ota Y, Yabe K . The effect of postactivation potentiation on the mechanomyogram. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005; 96(1):17-23. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-005-0053-0. View

11.

Trivers R, Fink B, Russell M, McCarty K, James B, Palestis B . Lower body symmetry and running performance in elite Jamaican track and field athletes. PLoS One. 2014; 9(11):e113106. PMC: 4234648. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113106. View

12.

Wilson H, Johnson M, Francis P . Repeated stimulation, inter-stimulus interval and inter-electrode distance alters muscle contractile properties as measured by Tensiomyography. PLoS One. 2018; 13(2):e0191965. PMC: 5815578. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191965. View

13.

Krizaj D, Simunic B, Zagar T . Short-term repeatability of parameters extracted from radial displacement of muscle belly. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2007; 18(4):645-51. DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2007.01.008. View

14.

Wiewelhove T, Raeder C, de Paula Simola R, Schneider C, Doweling A, Ferrauti A . Tensiomyographic Markers Are Not Sensitive for Monitoring Muscle Fatigue in Elite Youth Athletes: A Pilot Study. Front Physiol. 2017; 8:406. PMC: 5473413. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00406. View

15.

Kaczmarek P, Celichowski J, Drzymala-Celichowska H, Kasinski A . The image of motor units architecture in the mechanomyographic signal during the single motor unit contraction: in vivo and simulation study. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2008; 19(4):553-63. DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2008.03.007. View

16.

de Paula Simola R, Harms N, Raeder C, Kellmann M, Meyer T, Pfeiffer M . Assessment of neuromuscular function after different strength training protocols using tensiomyography. J Strength Cond Res. 2014; 29(5):1339-48. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000768. View

17.

Alentorn-Geli E, Alvarez-Diaz P, Ramon S, Marin M, Steinbacher G, Boffa J . Assessment of neuromuscular risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury through tensiomyography in male soccer players. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2014; 23(9):2508-13. DOI: 10.1007/s00167-014-3018-1. View

18.

Rodriguez-Ruiz D, Diez-Vega I, Rodriguez-Matoso D, Fernandez-Del-Valle M, Sagastume R, Molina J . Analysis of the response speed of musculature of the knee in professional male and female volleyball players. Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014:239708. PMC: 4070587. DOI: 10.1155/2014/239708. View

19.

Carrasco L, Sanudo B, de Hoyo M, Pradas F, Da Silva M . Effectiveness of low-frequency vibration recovery method on blood lactate removal, muscle contractile properties and on time to exhaustion during cycling at VO₂max power output. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011; 111(9):2271-9. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-1848-9. View

20.

Wiewelhove T, Raeder C, Meyer T, Kellmann M, Pfeiffer M, Ferrauti A . Markers for Routine Assessment of Fatigue and Recovery in Male and Female Team Sport Athletes during High-Intensity Interval Training. PLoS One. 2015; 10(10):e0139801. PMC: 4596858. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139801. View