Influence of submaximal isometric contractions of the hamstrings on electromyography activity and force while functioning as hip extensors

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Dasom Oh ◽  
Wootaek Lim

BACKGROUND: Although the medial and lateral hamstrings are clearly distinct anatomically and have different functions in the transverse plane, they are often considered as one muscle during rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) activity between the prone position and the supine position during maximal isometric contraction and to additionally confirm the effect of submaximal isometric contractions on EMG activity of medial and lateral hamstrings, and force. METHODS: In the prone position, EMG activities of the long head of biceps femoris (BFLH) and semitendinosus (ST) were measured during the maximal isometric contraction. In the supine position, hip extension force with EMG activity were measured during the maximal and the submaximal isometric contractions. RESULTS: EMG activity in the prone position was significantly decreased in the supine position. In the supine position, there was a significant difference between the BFLH and ST during the maximal isometric contraction, but not during the submaximal isometric contractions. CONCLUSIONS: The dependence on the hamstrings could be relatively lower during hip extensions. When the medial and lateral hamstrings are considered separately, the lateral hamstrings may show a more active response, with increased muscle length, in clinical practice.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Toshiaki Soga ◽  
Taspol Keerasomboon ◽  
Kei Akiyama ◽  
Norikazu Hirose

Context: This study aimed to examine the differences in electromyographic (EMG) activity of the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, break-point angle (BPA), and the angle at peak BFlh EMG activity between bilateral and unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) on a sloped platform. Design: This study was designed as a case-control study. Methods: Fourteen men participated in the study. The participants initially performed maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) on the prone leg curl to normalize the peak hamstring EMG amplitude as the %MVIC. Then, participants were randomized to perform the following 3 variations of NHE: bilateral (N40) or unilateral (N40U) NHE with a platform angle of 40°, and unilateral NHE with a platform angle of 50° (N50U). The EMG activities of the BFlh and ST and the knee flexion angle during the NHE variations were recorded to calculate the EMG activity of the BFlh and ST in terms of the %MVIC, the angle at peak BFlh EMG, and BPA. Results: The BFlh %MVIC was significantly higher in N40U (P < .05) and N50U (P < .05) than in N40. A significant difference in BFlh %MVIC and ST %MVIC was observed between N40U (P < .05) and N50U (P < .05). The mean values of BPA and the angle at peak BFlh EMG were <30° for all NHE variations. Conclusions: In the late swing phase of high-speed running, BFlh showed higher EMG activity; thus, unilateral NHE may be a specific hamstring exercise for hamstring injury prevention.


Author(s):  
Wootaek Lim

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, knee flexion at the prone position for manual muscle testing of hamstrings and hip extension at the supine position for stretching of hamstring muscles are typically proposed. OBJECTIVE: Although different positions have been proposed for different purposes in hamstrings, the understanding of the changing the functional role of hamstrings with position changes is poorly understood. METHODS: The electromyographic (EMG) activity and hip extension force were compared among different postures; hip neutral, internal, and external rotation. EMG and force were measured in prone position during knee flexion and those were additionally measured in supine position during hip extension. In supine position, additional measurements were made in hip neutral, internal and external rotation. RESULTS: Hamstrings showed high EMG activity during knee flexion. Knee flexion force in prone position was significantly decreased at hip extension force in supine position. In supine position, EMG activity was significantly higher in semitendinosus (ST) than biceps femoris (BF) during internal rotation. CONCLUSIONS: It should be noted that bi-articular muscles may have different functional dependencies on the corresponding muscles for each joint. In addition, because the altered alignment of the hamstring muscles that was affected by hip rotation had a significant effect on muscle activity, and hip rotation may be helpful for selective training of medial or lateral hamstrings.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Neil Chapman ◽  
John William Whitting ◽  
Suzanne Broadbent ◽  
Zachary Crowley-McHattan ◽  
Rudi Meir

Hamstring strain injuries are common in sport. Supramaximal eccentric or high-intensity isometric contractions are favored in hamstring strain injury prevention. The effect of combining these contraction modes in such prevention programs as a poststretch isometric contraction is unknown. Poststretch isometric contractions incorporate an active stretch and result in greater final isometric force than isometric contractions at comparable joint angles. This study compared torque and muscle activation levels between maximal voluntary isometric contraction and maximal poststretch isometric contractions of the knee flexors. Participants (n = 9) completed baseline maximal voluntary isometric contraction at 150° knee flexion and maximal poststretch isometric contractions at 120° knee flexion actively stretching at 60°/s to 150° knee flexion for final isometric contraction. Torque of the knee flexors and surface electromyography root mean square (sEMGRMS) of biceps femoris long head were simultaneously recorded and compared between baseline and poststretch isometric at 150° knee flexion. Torque was 14% greater in the poststretch isometric condition compared with baseline maximal voluntary isometric contraction (42.45 [20.75] N·m, 14% [22.18%], P < .001) without increase in sEMGRMS of biceps femoris long head (−.03 mV, ±.06, P = .130, d = .93). Poststretch isometric contractions resulted in supramaximal levels of poststretch isometric torque without increased activation of biceps femoris long head.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 205566831982746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit N Pujari ◽  
Richard D Neilson ◽  
Marco Cardinale

Background Indirect vibration stimulation, i.e., whole body vibration or upper limb vibration, has been investigated increasingly as an exercise intervention for rehabilitation applications. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of graded isometric contractions superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation. Hence, the objective of this study was to quantify and analyse the effects of variations in the vibration parameters and contraction levels on the neuromuscular responses to isometric exercise superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation. Methods In this study, we assessed the ‘neuromuscular effects’ of graded isometric contractions, of 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of maximum voluntary contraction, superimposed on whole body vibration stimulation (V) and control (C), i.e., no-vibration in 12 healthy volunteers. Vibration stimuli tested were 30 Hz and 50 Hz frequencies and 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm amplitude. Surface electromyographic activity of the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and biceps femoris were measured during V and C conditions with electromyographic root mean square and electromyographic mean frequency values used to quantify muscle activity and their fatigue levels, respectively. Results Both the prime mover (vastus lateralis) and the antagonist (biceps femoris) displayed significantly higher (P < 0.05) electromyographic activity with the V than the C condition with varying percentage increases in EMG root-mean-square (EMGrms) values ranging from 20% to 200%. For both the vastus lateralis and biceps femoris, the increase in mean EMGrms values depended on the frequency, amplitude and muscle contraction level with 50 Hz–0.5 mm stimulation inducing the largest neuromuscular activity. Conclusions These results show that the isometric contraction superimposed on vibration stimulation leads to higher neuromuscular activity compared to isometric contraction alone in the lower limbs. The combination of the vibration frequency with the amplitude and the muscle tension together grades the final neuromuscular output.


1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 1032-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Wolfson ◽  
J. S. Greenspan ◽  
K. S. Deoras ◽  
J. L. Allen ◽  
T. H. Shaffer

To determine the influence of body position on chest wall and pulmonary function, we studied the ventilatory, pulmonary mechanics, and thoracoabdominal motion profiles in 20 preterm infants recovering from respiratory disease who were positioned in both the supine and prone position. Thoracoabdominal motion was assessed from measurements of relative rib cage and abdominal movement and the calculated phase angle (an index of thoracoabdominal synchrony) of the rib and abdomen Lissajous figures. The ventilatory and pulmonary function profiles were assessed from simultaneous measurements of transpulmonary pressure, airflow, and tidal volume. The infants were studied in quiet sleep, and the order of positioning was randomized across patients. The results demonstrated no significant difference in ventilatory and pulmonary function measurements as a function of position. In contrast, there was a significant reduction (-49%) in the phase angle of the Lissajous figures and an increase (+66%) in rib cage motion in prone compared with the supine position. In addition, the degree of improvement in phase angle in the prone position was correlated to the severity of asynchrony in the supine position. We speculate that the improvement in thoracoabdominal synchrony in the prone position is related to alterations of chest wall mechanics and respiratory muscle tone mediated by a posturally related shift in the area of apposition of the diaphragm to the anterior inner rib cage wall and increase in passive tension of the muscles of the rib cage. This study suggests that the mechanical advantage associated with prone positioning may confer a useful alternative breathing pattern to the preterm infant in whom elevated respiratory work loads and respiratory musculoskeletal immaturity may predispose to respiratory failure.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dita Aditianingsih ◽  
Adhrie Sugiarto ◽  
Sidharta Kusuma Manggala ◽  
Hansen Angkasa ◽  
Ahmad Pasha Natanegara

Abstract BackgroundThis review determined the effect of prone positioning in changes of partial pressure of arterial oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) ratio, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), mortality rate, ICU length of stay and duration of mechanical ventilation in intubated COVID-19 patients with severe ARDS.MethodsA computer-aided comprehensive electronic bibliographic search from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Direct were conducted. The search comprised the articles written in English and intubated adults (≥ 18 years old) patients with COVID-19. The primary outcome was comparing PaO2/FiO2 ratio between prone and supine position group. Secondary outcomes were PaCO2, ICU discharge, and mortality rate. Review Manager version 5.4 (The Cochrane Collaboration) was used for statistical analyses of the included studies.ResultsA total of 7 articles were determined to be eligible, consisting of 1403 intubated COVID-19 patients with ARDS that showed prone position was associated with a higher PaO2/FiO2 ratio compared to supine position (MD 60.17, 95% CI 46.86 - 73.47; p < 0.00001). Four studies reported the PaCO2 measurement and showed no significant difference between prone and supine position (MD 2.07, 95% CI -2.79 - 6.92; p <0.40). Only two studies reported mortalities, one study had 262 deaths out of 648 patients (40.4%) and one study lost 11 out of 20 patients (55%). One study reported median ICU stay and mechanical ventilation duration (16 days) were significantly longer in prone position group.ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed that prone position improved PaO2/FiO2 ratio in intubated COVID-19 patients with ARDS.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit N. Pujari ◽  
Richard D. Neilson ◽  
Marco Cardinale

AbstractBackgroundIndirect vibration stimulation i.e. whole body vibration or upper limb vibration, has been suggested increasingly as an effective exercise intervention for sports and rehabilitation applications. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of whole body vibration (WBV) stimulation superimposed to graded isometric contractions superimposed on. For this scope, we investigated the effects of WBV superimposed to graded isometric contractions in the lower limbs on muscle activation. We also assessed the agonist-antagonist co-activation during this type of exercise.Twelve healthy volunteers were exposed to WBV superimposed to graded isometric contractions, at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% of the maximum voluntary contractions (V) or just isometric contractions performed on a custom designed horizontal leg press Control (C). Tested stimulation consisted of 30Hzand 50Hz frequencies and 0.5mm and 1.5mm amplitudes. Surface electromyographic activity of Vastus Lateralis (VL), Vastus Medialis (VM) and Biceps Femoris (BF) were measured during V and C conditions. Co-contraction activity of agonist-antagonist muscles was also quantified. The trials were performed in random order.ResultsBoth the prime mover, (VL) and the antagonist, (BF) displayed significantly higher (P < 0.05) EMG activity with the V than the C condition. For both the VL and BF, the increase in mean EMGrms values depended on the frequency, amplitude and muscle contraction level with 50Hz-0.5mm stimulation inducing the largest neuromuscular activity. 50Hz-0.5mm V condition also led to co-activation ratios significantly (P< 0.05) higher at 40, 80 and 100% of MVC than the C condition.ConclusionsOur results show that the isometric contraction superimposed on vibration stimulation leads to higher neuromuscular activity compared to isometric contraction alone in the lower limbs. Compared to the control condition, the vibratory stimulation leads to higher agonist-antagonist co-activation of the muscles around the knee joint in all vibration conditions and effort levels. The combination of vibration magnitude (frequency and amplitude) and the level of muscle contraction affect neuromuscular activity rather than vibration frequency alone. Results of this study suggest that more parameters need to be taken into consideration when designing vibration exercise programs for sports and rehabilitation purposes.


Author(s):  
Stachtari Chrysoula ◽  
Koraki Eleni ◽  
Stachtari Chrysoula ◽  
Bagntasarian Stella ◽  
Gkiouliava Anna ◽  
...  

Context: Postural change during anaesthesia has a complex effect on systemic and cerebral circulations. Aim: The goal of the study was to evaluate the effects of desflurane and propofol on cerebral oxygenation during spinal surgery in the prone position. Settings and Design: A prospective randomized double-blinded trial. Methods and Materials: Fifty-two patients scheduled for spinal surgery were randomly allocated to propofol (n=25) and desflurane (n=27) groups. Anaesthetic agents were maintained to obtain a bispectral index of 50-55. SAP, DAP, HR, SPO2, ETCO2 and right and left rSO2 were assessed at seven-time points: supine position without oxygen administration (T1), supine position with oxygen administration (T2-baseline), intubation in the supine position (T3), just after prone positioning (T4), 10 minutes after prone positioning (T5), at the end of surgery in the prone position (T6) and at the end of anaesthesia in the supine position (T7). PCO2, PO2 and Hb partial were also recorded at T3 and T7. Results: Demographic data, pre-oxygenation hemodynamic variables and rSO2 were comparable between the groups. There was no significant difference between groups in SAP, DAP, HR, SPO2, and ETCO2 (p=0.095, p=0.061, p=0.357, p=0.088, p=0.328 respectively). PCO2, PO2 and Hb were not significant different between groups (p=0.542, p=0.394, p=0.768 respectively). rSO2 values were not significantly different between groups. In the propofol group, right rSO2 was significantly higher at T3 (p=0.017) and significantly lower at T5 (p=0,019) and at T6 (p=0,028) compared to baseline. Left rSO2 decreased significantly from baseline at T5 (p=0.026) in the propofol group. Left and right rSO2 in the desflurane group decreased significantly from baseline at T5 (p=0.0004 and p=0.0115). Conclusion: In the prone position, desflurane and propofol were associated with a significant decrease in rSO2 without differences between these anaesthetics.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Xu ◽  
Qingxian Hou ◽  
Yanchen Chu ◽  
Xiuling Huang ◽  
Wenjiu Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Through the comparison of three-dimensional CT reconstruction between the supine position and the prone position, the relative position of thoracolumbar great vessels and vertebral body was studied, and the shortest safe distance between them was measured to improve the safety of bicortical pedicle screw insertion and reduce the risk of vascular injury. Methods: Forty adults were selected to participate the research. Three-dimensional reconstruction of thoracolumbar (T9-L3) CT was performed in the prone position and the supine position. The relative distance between the Aorta/Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) and vertebral body was obtained as AVD/VVD respectively. The relative angle of the Aorta/ IVC and the vertebral body was calculated as ∠AOY/∠VOY. Self-controlled experiments were carried out in the prone and the supine positions, and the data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. Results: The AVD of the prone position and the supine position was the shortest at T12 (3.18 ±0.68mm), but the difference was not statistically significant. The aorta of the T9-L3 segment was shifted from the anterolateral to the anteromedial. The ∠AOY of the other groups differed significantly between the prone and supine positions in all vertebrae except L1 (P < 0.05), and the aorta in the prone position was more anteromedial than that of supine position. With regard to VVD/∠VOY, there was no significant difference between the prone and supine positions (P≥0.05), and the minimum VVD of L3 segment is greater than 5.4mm. The IVC has no obvious mobility and is fixed in the range of 20 °~ 30 ° near the midline. Conclusion: When using bicortical anchoring of pedicle screws, it is safe to ensure that the protruding tips of the screw is less than 3mm. Due to the mobility of the aorta in different postures and individual differences in anatomy, the prone position CT can help doctors to make better preoperative plans and decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Eleftherios Kellis ◽  
Athina Konstantinidou ◽  
Athanasios Ellinoudis

Muscle morphology is an important contributor to hamstring muscle injury and malfunction. The aim of this study was to examine if hamstring muscle-tendon lengths differ between various measurement methods as well as if passive length changes differ between individual hamstrings. The lengths of biceps femoris long head (BFlh), semimembranosus (SM), and semitendinosus (ST) of 12 healthy males were determined using three methods: Firstly, by identifying the muscle attachments using ultrasound (US) and then measuring the distance on the skin using a flexible ultrasound tape (TAPE-US). Secondly, by scanning each muscle using extended-field-of view US (EFOV-US) and, thirdly, by estimating length using modelling equations (MODEL). Measurements were performed with the participant relaxed at six combinations of hip (0°, 90°) and knee (0°, 45°, and 90°) flexion angles. The MODEL method showed greater BFlh and SM lengths as well as changes in length than US methods. EFOV-US showed greater ST and SM lengths than TAPE-US (p < 0.05). SM length change across all joint positions was greater than BFlh and ST (p < 0.05). Hamstring length predicted using regression equations is greater compared with those measured using US-based methods. The EFOV-US method yielded greater ST and SM length than the TAPE-US method. SM showed the highest change in length at different hip and knee joint positions.


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