scholarly journals Gluteus Medius Muscle Activation During Isometric Muscle Contractions

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona O’Dwyer ◽  
David Sainsbury ◽  
Kieran O’Sullivan

Context:Functional subdivisions are proposed to exist in the gluteus medius (GM) muscle. Dysfunction of the GM, in particular its functional subdivisions, is commonly implicated in lower limb pathologies. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence examining the role of the subdivisions of the GM.Objectives:To compare the activation of the functional subdivisions of the GM (anterior, middle, and posterior) during isometric hip contractions.Design:Single-session, repeated-measures observational study.Setting:University research laboratory.Participants:Convenience sample of 15 healthy, pain-free subjects.Intervention:Subjects performed 3 maximal voluntary isometric contractions for hip abduction and internal and external rotation on an isokinetic dynamometer with simultaneous recording of surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of the GM subdivisions.Main Outcome Measures:sEMG muscle activity for each functional subdivision of the GM during each hip movement was analyzed using a 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA (post hoc Bonferroni).Results:The response of GM subdivisions during the 3 different isometric contractions was significantly different (interaction effect; P = .003). The anterior GM displayed significantly higher activation across all 3 isometric contractions than the middle and posterior subdivisions (main effect; both P < .001). The middle GM also demonstrated significantly higher activation than the posterior GM across all 3 isometric contractions (main effect; P = .027). There was also significantly higher activation of all 3 subdivisions during both abduction and internal rotation than during external rotation (main effect; both P < .001).Conclusions:The existence of functional subdivisions in the GM appears to be supported by the findings. Muscle activation was not homogeneous throughout the entire muscle. The highest GM activation was found in the anterior GM subdivision and during abduction and internal rotation. Future studies should examine the role of GM functional subdivisions in subjects with lower limb pathologies.

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Earl

Context:Gluteus medius (GM) contraction during single-leg stance prevents the contralateral pelvis from “dropping,” providing stability for lower extremity motion.Objective:To determine which combination of hip rotation and abduction exercise results in the greatest activity of the GM and whether the GM responds to increased loads in these exercises.Design and Setting:Repeated measures, laboratory.Subjects:20 healthy volunteers.Interventions:Resistance (2.26 and 4.53 kg) was provided to 3 variations of a single-leg-stance exercise: hip abduction only, abduction-internal rotation (ABD-IR), and abduction-external rotation.Measurements:Muscle activity was recorded from the anterior and middle portions of the GM using surface electromyography.Results:ABD-IR produced the most activity in the anterior and middle sections of the GM muscle. The 4.53-kg load produced significantly more activity than the 2.26-kg load (P< .05).Conclusions:The GM is most active when performing abduction and internal rotation of the hip. This information could be used to develop GM-strengthening exercises.


Author(s):  
Rodrigo Rabello ◽  
Camila Nodari ◽  
Felipe Scudiero ◽  
Iury Borges ◽  
Luan Fitarelli ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Fatigue-induced hip-abductor weakness may exacerbate lower-limb misalignments during different dynamic single-leg tasks. We sought to evaluate the effects of fatigue and task on lower limb kinematics and muscle activation and to find associations between measurements obtained in two tasks. Methods One-group pretest–posttest design. Seventeen healthy adults (9 W) performed the single-leg squat (SLSQUAT) and the single-leg hop (SLHOP) before and after a hip-abduction fatigue protocol. Hip adduction, knee frontal plane projection angle (knee FPPA) and heel inversion displacement were measured during the eccentric phase of the SLSQUAT and the SLHOP, as well as activation of the gluteus medius (GMed), tensor fascia latae (TFL), peroneus longus (PER) and tibialis anterior (TA). Moments and tasks were compared using a repeated-measures two-way ANOVA. Correlation between tasks was evaluated using Spearman’s correlation. Results No differences in kinematics or activation were found between moments. Hip-adduction displacement (P = 0.005), GMed (P = 0.008) and PER (P = 0.037) activation were higher during SLSQUAT, while TA activation was higher during SLHOP (P < 0.001). No differences were found between tasks in knee FPPA and heel inversion. Hip-adduction and knee FPPA were not correlated between tasks, while ankle inversion displacement was positively correlated (rs = 0.524–0.746). Conclusion Different characteristics of SLSQUAT (slower and deeper) seem to have led to increased hip adduction displacement, GMed, and PER activation and decreased TA activation, likely due to higher balance requirements. However, hip-abductor fatigue didn’t influence lower-limb alignment during the tasks. Finally, evaluations should be performed with different single-leg tasks since they don’t give the same lower-limb alignment information.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Youdas ◽  
Kady E. Adams ◽  
John E. Bertucci ◽  
Koel J. Brooks ◽  
Meghan M. Nelson ◽  
...  

Context:No published studies have compared muscle activation levels simultaneously for the gluteus maximus and medius muscles of stance and moving limbs during standing hip-joint strengthening while using elastic-tubing resistance.Objective:To quantify activation levels bilaterally of the gluteus maximus and medius during resisted lower-extremity standing exercises using elastic tubing for the cross-over, reverse cross-over, front-pull, and back-pull exercise conditions.Design:Repeated measures.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:26 active and healthy people, 13 men (25 ± 3 y) and 13 women (24 ± 1 y).Intervention:Subjects completed 3 consecutive repetitions of lower-extremity exercises in random order.Main Outcome Measures:Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were normalized to peak activity in the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) trial and expressed as a percentage. Magnitudes of EMG recruitment were analyzed with a 2 × 4 repeated-measures ANOVA for each muscle (α = .05).Results:For the gluteus maximus an interaction between exercise and limb factor was significant (F3,75 = 21.5; P < .001). The moving-limb gluteus maximus was activated more than the stance limb's during the back-pull exercise (P < .001), and moving-limb gluteus maximus muscle recruitment was greater for the back-pull exercise than for the cross-over, reverse cross-over, and front-pull exercises (P < .001). For the gluteus medius an interaction between exercise and limb factor was significant (F3,75 = 3.7; P < .03). Gluteus medius muscle recruitment (% MVIC) was greater in the stance limb than moving limb when performing the front-pull exercise (P < .001). Moving-limb gluteus medius muscle recruitment was greater for the reverse cross-over exercise than for the cross-over, front-pull, and back-pull exercises (P < .001).Conclusions:From a clinical standpoint there is no therapeutic benefit to selectively activate the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles on the stance limb by resisting sagittal- and frontal-plane hip movements on the moving limb using resistance supplied by elastic tubing.


2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-hyun Lee ◽  
Heon-seock Cynn ◽  
Sil-ah Choi ◽  
Tae-lim Yoon ◽  
Hyo-jung Jeong

Context:Gluteus medius (Gmed) weakness is associated with some lower-extremity injuries. People with Gmed weakness might compensate by activating the tensor fasciae latae (TFL). Different hip rotations in the transverse plane may affect Gmed and TFL muscle activity during isometric side-lying hip abduction (SHA).Objectives:To compare Gmed and TFL muscle activity and the Gmed:TFL muscle-activity ratio during SHA exercise with 3 different hip rotations.Design:The effects of different hip rotations on Gmed, TFL, and the Gmed:TFL muscle-activity ratio during isometric SHA were analyzed with 1-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance.Setting:University research laboratory.Participants:20 healthy university students were recruited in this study.Interventions:Participants performed isometric SHA: frontal SHA with neutral hip (frontal SHAN), frontal SHA with hip medial rotation (frontal SHA-MR), and frontal SHA with hip lateral rotation (frontal SHA-LR).Main Outcome Measures:Surface electromyography measured the activity of the Gmed and the TFL. A 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance assessed the statistical significance of Gmed and TFL muscle activity. When there was a significant difference, a Bonferroni adjustment was performed.Results:Frontal SHA-MR showed significantly greater Gmed muscle activation than frontal SHA-N (P = .000) or frontal SHA-LR (P = .015). Frontal SHA-LR showed significantly greater TFL muscle activation than frontal SHA-N (P = .002). Frontal SHA-MR also resulted in a significantly greater Gmed:TFL muscle-activity ratio than frontal SHA-N (P = .004) or frontal SHA-LR (P = .000), and frontal SHA-N was significantly greater than frontal SHA-LR (P = .000).Conclusions:Frontal SHA-MR results in greater Gmed muscle activation and a higher Gmed:TFL muscle ratio.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran O’Sullivan ◽  
Ellen Herbert ◽  
David Sainsbury ◽  
Karen McCreesh ◽  
Amanda Clifford

Context:The gluteus medius (Gmed) is proposed to consist of 3 functional subdivisions (anterior, middle, and posterior). Gmed weakness and dysfunction have been implicated in numerous lower extremity disorders, including patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). PFPS is a knee condition that frequently occurs in females and is associated with activities such as squatting and stair climbing. There is a lack of evidence for the role of the subdivisions of the Gmed in females with and without PFPS.Objective:To compare muscle activation in the 3 Gmed subdivisions during 4 weight-bearing exercises in women with and without PFPS.Design:Single-session, repeated-measures observational study.Setting:University research laboratory.Participants:Convenience sample of 12 women with PFPS and 12 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic controls.Intervention:Participants performed 4 weight-bearing exercises (wall press, pelvic drop, step-up-and-over, and unilateral squat) 3 times while surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of the Gmed segments was recorded.Main Outcome Measures:sEMG muscle activity for each functional subdivision of the Gmed during each weight-bearing exercise was analyzed using a mixed between–within-subjects ANOVA (post hoc Bonferroni).Results:No statistically significant differences in muscle activation were found between the PFPS and healthy participants (P = .97). Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences between the exercises (P = .19) or muscle fibers (P = .36) independent of group analyzed. However, the activation of the subdivisions varied according to the exercise performed (P = .003).Conclusions:Similar levels of muscle activation were recorded in the Gmed subdivisions of the PFPS and healthy participants during the different exercises. This is the first study to examine all 3 Gmed subdivisions in PFPS. Future studies using larger sample sizes should also investigate onset and duration of muscle activation in all Gmed subdivisions in both healthy individuals and those with PFPS.


Osteology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Alessandra Berton ◽  
Sergio De Salvatore ◽  
Vincenzo Candela ◽  
Gabriele Cortina ◽  
Daniela Lo Presti ◽  
...  

Rotator cuff tears are a frequent cause of shoulder pain that often require arthroscopic repair. After surgery an intense and well-studied rehabilitation protocol is needed to obtain the complete recovery of shoulder function. Fifty patients, who sustained arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for symptomatic, atraumatic and full-thickness supraspinatus tendon tear, were involved. According to our rehabilitation protocol, during the first four postoperative weeks, the arm was supported with an abduction sling pillow, and pendulum exercises, table slide and active elbow extension and flexion were conceded. Outcome measures (Oxford shoulder score (OSS), simple shoulder test (SST), patient-reported satisfaction), shoulder function (range of motion (ROM) and muscle strength), and MRI examination were evaluated. The mean OSS score and SST score increased from 16 to 30.2 and from 5.3 to 11.4, respectively. Patient-reported satisfaction was 96%. At 12 months, patients improved ROM and muscle strength. Postoperative passive anterior elevation was 176; external rotation averaged 47; internal rotation was 90. Postoperative muscle strength during anterior elevation was 8.3 ± 2.2 kg, internal rotation 6.8 ± 3 kg, external rotation 5.5 ± 2.3 kg. Five out of seven patients with recurrent tears evaluated their results as satisfactory. They reported improvements in terms of OSS and SST mean scores despite recurrent tears; therefore, they did not undergo revision surgery. The delayed postoperative physical therapy protocol was associated with improvements in the outcome measures and shoulder function compared to the preoperatory state and rotator cuff healing demonstrated by MRI.


2009 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 503-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thales R. Souza ◽  
Rafael Z. Pinto ◽  
Renato G. Trede ◽  
Renata N. Kirkwood ◽  
Antônio E. Pertence ◽  
...  

Background: The influence of distal mechanical factors that change the interaction between the forefoot and the support surface on lower-limb kinematics is not well established. This study investigated the effects of the use of lateral wedges under the forefoot on the kinematics of the lower extremity during the stance phase of walking. Methods: Sixteen healthy young adults participated in this repeated-measures study. They walked wearing flat sandals and laterally wedged sandals, which were medially inclined only in the forefoot. One wedged sandal had a forefoot lateral wedge of 5° and the other wedged sandal had a forefoot lateral wedge of 10°. Kinematic variables of the lower extremity, theoretically considered clinically relevant for injury development, were measured with a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The variables were evaluated for three subphases of stance: loading response, midstance, and late stance. Results: The 5° laterally wedged sandal increased rearfoot eversion during midstance and the 10° laterally wedged sandal increased rearfoot eversion during mid- and late stances, in comparison to the use of flat sandals. The 10° laterally wedged sandal produced greater internal rotation of the shank relative to the pelvis and of the hip joint, during the midstance, also compared to the use of flat sandals. Conclusions: Lateral wedges under the forefoot increase rearfoot eversion during mid-and late stances and may cause proximal kinematic changes throughout the lower-extremity kinetic chain. Distal mechanical factors should be clinically addressed when a patient presents late excessive rearfoot eversion during walking. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 99(6): 503–511, 2009)


2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. McBeth ◽  
Jennifer E. Earl-Boehm ◽  
Stephen C. Cobb ◽  
Wendy E. Huddleston

Context: Lower extremity overuse injuries are associated with gluteus medius (GMed) weakness. Understanding the activation of muscles about the hip during strengthening exercises is important for rehabilitation. Objective: To compare the electromyographic activity produced by the gluteus medius (GMed), tensor fascia latae (TFL), anterior hip flexors (AHF), and gluteus maximus (GMax) during 3 hip-strengthening exercises: hip abduction (ABD), hip abduction with external rotation (ABD-ER), and clamshell (CLAM) exercises. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty healthy runners (9 men, 11 women; age = 25.45 ± 5.80 years, height = 1.71 ± 0.07 m, mass = 64.43 ± 7.75 kg) participated. Intervention(s): A weight equal to 5% body mass was affixed to the ankle for the ABD and ABD-ER exercises, and an equivalent load was affixed for the CLAM exercise. A pressure biofeedback unit was placed beneath the trunk to provide positional feedback. Main Outcome Measure(s): Surface electromyography (root mean square normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction) was recorded over the GMed, TFL, AHF, and GMax. Results: Three 1-way, repeated-measures analyses of variance indicated differences for muscle activity among the ABD (F3,57 = 25.903, P&lt;.001), ABD-ER (F3,57 = 10.458, P&lt;.001), and CLAM (F3,57 = 4.640, P=.006) exercises. For the ABD exercise, the GMed (70.1 ± 29.9%), TFL (54.3 ± 19.1%), and AHF (28.2 ± 21.5%) differed in muscle activity. The GMax (25.3 ± 24.6%) was less active than the GMed and TFL but was not different from the AHF. For the ABD-ER exercise, the TFL (70.9 ± 17.2%) was more active than the AHF (54.3 ± 24.8%), GMed (53.03 ± 28.4%), and GMax (31.7 ± 24.1 %). For the CLAM exercise, the AHF (54.2 ± 25.2%) was more active than the TFL (34.4 ± 20.1%) and GMed (32.6 ± 16.9%) but was not different from the GMax (34.2 ± 24.8%). Conclusions: The ABD exercise is preferred if targeted activation of the GMed is a goal. Activation of the other muscles in the ABD-ER and CLAM exercises exceeded that of GMed, which might indicate the exercises are less appropriate when the primary goal is the GMed activation and strengthening.


Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Patricio A. Pincheira ◽  
Eduardo Martinez-Valdes ◽  
Carlos De la Fuente ◽  
Felipe Palma ◽  
Oscar Valencia ◽  
...  

Regional changes in muscle activation occur at different contraction intensities. These changes can be observed with activity maps created with high-density electromyography (HDEMG). When quantifying these changes, statistical parametric mapping (SPM) is a neuroimaging technique that may be used to perform statistical analyses with high sensitivity and spatial resolution. The aim of this study was to identify regional changes in muscle activation at different contraction intensities, comparing SPM and the HDEMG barycenter (centroid). Twelve participants performed plantar flexion isometric contractions at 20%, 40%, and 60% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), while HDEMG was recorded from the medial gastrocnemius. An SPM repeated measures ANOVA design revealed specific mediolateral and cephalocaudal changes in muscle activation with increasing contraction intensities, which were not clearly detected by the variation in the barycenter coordinates. Only SPM revealed statistically significant nonuniform changes in EMG amplitude between all increasing levels of muscle activation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Y. Lin ◽  
Liang-Ching Tsai ◽  
Joel Press ◽  
Yupeng Ren ◽  
Sun G. Chung ◽  
...  

Context:Gluteal-muscle strength has been identified as an important component of injury prevention and rehabilitation in several common knee injuries. However, many conventionally prescribed gluteal-strengthening exercises are not performed during dynamic weight-bearing activities, which is when most injuries occur.Objectives:To compare lower-limb muscle-activation patterns between conventional gluteal-strengthening exercises and off-axis elliptical exercises with motorized foot-plate perturbations designed to activate gluteal muscles during dynamic exercise.Evidence Acquisition:Twelve healthy volunteers (26.1 ± 4.7 y) participated in the study. They performed 3 conventional exercises (single-leg squat, forward lunge, and clamshell) and 3 elliptical exercises (regular, while resisting an adduction force, and while resisting an internal-rotation torque). Gluteus medius (GMed) and maximus (GMax), quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius muscle activations during each exercise were recorded using surface electromyography (EMG) and normalized to maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC).Evidence Synthesis:Normalized GMed EMG was the highest during the adduction-resistance elliptical exercise (22.4% ± 14.8% MVIC), significantly greater than forward lunge (8.2% ± 3.8% MVIC) and regular elliptical (6.4% ± 2.5% MVIC) and similar to clamshell (19.1% ± 8.8% MVIC) and single-leg squat (18.4% ± 7.9% MVIC). Normalized GMax EMG during adduction-resistance (11.1% ± 7.6% MVIC) and internal-rotation-resistance elliptical (7.4% ± 3.8% MVIC) was significantly greater than regular elliptical (4.4% ± 2.4% MVIC) and was similar to conventional exercises. The single-leg squat required more muscle activation from the quadriceps and gastrocnemius than the elliptical exercises.Conclusions:Off-axis elliptical exercise while resisting an adduction force or internal-rotation torque activates gluteal muscles dynamically while avoiding excessive quadriceps activation during a functional weight-bearing activity compared with conventional gluteal-strengthening exercises.


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