Functional anatomy of the cheetah hindlimb

This detailed dissection-based study quantified the muscle architecture of the cheetah hindlimb, recording muscle masses, fascicle lengths, and physiological cross-sectional areas and comparing them with cursorial and non-cursorial mammals. The authors found a limb configured for power and rapid limb protraction: large proximal muscles to drive the limb, long distal tendons, and an architecture suited to generating force quickly during acceleration. The data provided concrete anatomical grounding for why cheetahs accelerate so fiercely, replacing qualitative impressions with measured parameters that could feed musculoskeletal models. Paired with companion work on the forelimb, it established a quantitative baseline for the cheetah locomotor apparatus and helped explain how a relatively small cat generates the forces required for its extraordinary sprinting performance.