Reliability of force direction dependent EMG parameters of shoulder muscles for clinical measurements.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability of force direction dependent EMG parameters in shoulder muscles for future clinical research.


METHODS
EMG measurements of shoulder muscles including the rotator cuff were performed during isometrical external loading in various directions covering 360 degrees in a plane perpendicular to the humeral axis.


BACKGROUND
Relating EMG to force direction bypasses problems associated with the unknown position and velocity dependence of the EMG signal. For clinical application, information on the reliability of force direction dependent parameters is required.


METHODS
The EMG of shoulder muscles of healthy subjects was related to force direction. The activation patterns obtained where parameterised after least squares function fitting, returning three force direction dependent parameters, i.e. two on- and offset directions of the activity peak and the direction of highest EMG activity also called principal action. Within-trial, inter-trial, inter-day and inter-subject variabilities were estimated.


RESULTS
With a group size of n = 10, the 95% confidence interval for inter-day measurements was found to be about +/-5 degrees on a scale of 360 degrees for the principal action and just below +/-10 degrees for the intercepts.


CONCLUSIONS
The method allows for intra-individual measurements on different days with sufficient accuracy so that shoulder muscle co-ordination of patients before and after interventions like surgery or physical therapy can be evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative data on shoulder muscle function in vivo are required to assess the effectiveness of interventions on the shoulder.
Meskers
Carel G M
CG
Laboratory for Motion Analysis, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands. c.g.m.cmeskers@lumc.nl
de Groot
Jurriaan H
JH
Arwert
Henk J
HJ
Rozendaal
Leonard A
LA
Rozing
Piet M
PM
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000379:methods; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical