A5 Tendon Failure

Title

A5 models the failure of the alar and digital tendon system, which in birds fulfills two different physical functions that the model treats separately. In the wing, the tendons act as elastic springs that store and return energy in each beating cycle, reducing the net demand on the muscle (in hummingbirds and swifts this mechanism provides up to 40% of the energy of the cycle). A tendonitis or partial rupture reduces k_tendon and the return efficiency , transferring that load back to the muscle and accelerating fatigue (coupling with A4). In the paw, the digital flexor tendon is the critical element of grip and landing: it transmits impact forces that can exceed several times the body weight, and if its cross section is compromised, the risk of complete rupture during landing is real. The model evaluates both pathways and calculates the impact force threshold at which complete rupture becomes likely.

ID:4215