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Use of surface electromyogram as a measure of dynamic force in human limb muscles

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Abstract

The response of muscle to an impulse of stimulus is called a twitch. For a linear system, the convolution of an input to the system with the system's impulse response yields the output of the system. Experiments were performed to obtain the surface e.m.g. from human triceps muscle during isometric contractions. This e.m.g. was filtered and rectified, and convolved with the impulse response of an overdamped 2nd-order system. The resulting signal was fitted to the measured force by linear regression, and a good fit was found. The information content of surface e.m.g. when used as a force predictor is confined to a small range of frequencies: d.c.-30Hz.

Sommaire

La réponse d'un muscle à une impulsion ou un stimulus est appelée une contraction. Avec un système linéaire, l'association d'un signal entrant dans le système avec la réponse de celui-ci à l'impulsion donne le signal sortant (la répose) du système. Des expériences ont été effectuées pour obtenir l'e.m.g. de surface du triceps humain durant des contractions isométriques. Cet e.m.g. a été filtré et intégré à la réponse d'implusion d'un système du second ordre sur amorti. Le signal résultant a été comparé à la force mesurée par régression linéaire, et l'on s'est rendu compte qu'il y avait une bonne similarité. Les renseignements contenus dans l'e.m.g. de surface lorsqui'il est utilisé pour prédire les forces sont confinés à une petite gamme de fréquences: 30 Hz en c.c.

Zusammenfassung

Die Muskelreaktion auf einen Impuls oder Stimulus nennt man Zuckung. Bei einem linearen System erzeugt der Umlauf eines dem System eingegebenen Eingangssignals zusammen mit dem Impulsfrequenzgang des Systems das Ausgangssignal des Systems. Es wurden Versuche durchgeführt, um das Oberflächen-EMG des menschlichen Tricepsmuskels während der isometrischen Kontraktion zu erhalten. Dieses EMG wurde filtriert und verbessert und mit dem Impulsfrequenzgang des überkritisch gedämpften Nebensystems zusammengeführt. Das sich hieraus ergebende Signal wurde der gemessenen Leistung durch lineare Regression angepaßt. Die Anpassung wurde als gut bewertet. Der Informationsgehalt des als Leistungsprediktor verwendeten Oberflächen-e.m.g.s. ist auf einen kleinen Frequenzenbereich beschränkt: Gleichstrom-30 Hz.

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  1. Sir John Young Crescent, University of Sydney, Department of Ophthalmology, Sydney Eye Hospital, 2011, Woolloomooloo, N.S.W., Australia

    P. A. Crosby

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Crosby, P.A. Use of surface electromyogram as a measure of dynamic force in human limb muscles. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 16, 519–524 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02457802

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