[Correlation of electromyography and clinical results after bicondylar knee joint prosthesis implantation].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate clinical findings in patients receiving bicondylar sledge prostheses, and their correlation with electromyographic measurements in comparison with healthy volunteers.


METHODS
An average of 31.9 months after implantation of a bicondylar sledge prosthesis, 15 patients were clinically examined and compared with 11 control subjects. Electromyographic measurements of the rectus femoris, vastus medialis and lateralis, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles were obtained.


RESULTS
All clinical scores were significantly poorer in the patient group. The activity of the vastus lateralis was significantly reduced. The activity in the lower leg of the operated side was significantly higher than in the control group. Significant differences were found in the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles between controls and patients. Analysis of the correlation between the clinical scores and the electromyographic measurements showed no significance.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical results correlated only slightly with the electromyographic activity of the muscles investigated. The commonly presumed quadriceps insufficiency was not confirmed.
Fuchs
S
S
Klinik und Poliklinik für Allgemeine Orthopädie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster. fuchssu@uni-muenster.de
Genkinger
M
M
Laass
H
H
Skwara
A
A
Rosenbaum
D
D
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011474:Prosthesis Design