This study was designed as an investigation of the role of changes in muscle force and changes in muscle length on the EMG for the Tibialis Anterior (TA). / Using surface electrodes we examined the EMG for 4 contraction levels at 5 ankle positions over 60$ sp circ$ of ankle rotation. The change in median frequency with muscle length identified a significant shift in the power spectrum to lower frequencies with increasing muscle length. / To further investigate our results we performed three other experiments: First, using X-rays to identify the relative change in distance between two intramuscular wire electrodes we found the change in TA muscle length for this study to be 15% over the 60$ sp circ$ of ankle rotation. Second, to test for synergist contamination we used fine wire electrodes in the Extensor Digitorum Longus and the Peroneus. We found no evidence to support significant contamination. Third, we examined the role of smaller electrodes with a smaller interelectrode distance on our findings. The EMG showed drastic changes with even a slight shift in electrode position most likely due to the large number of innervation zones. / Therefore, the results indicate a shift in the power spectrum with a change in muscle length. In addition, surface EMG results are heavily dependent on the innervation zones and on the electrode geometry, all of which are important considerations in developing the EMG as an accurate diagnostic tool.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.60423 |
| Date | January 1989 |
| Creators | Young, Richard N. (Richard Norman) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Physiology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001213935, proquestno: AAIMM67557, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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