Isometric axial rotation of the trunk in the neutral posture

The purpose of this study was to measure the torque, the magnitude of the electromyogram (EMG) signal and the phase relationship of 14 muscles during trunk axial rotation. Fifty normal healthy volunteers (27 males and 23 females) with no lower-back injury participated in the study. The subjects were seated in an upright position in the axial rotation tester (AROT) after applying surface electrodes bilaterally to the following muscles: pectoralis major, rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, latissimus dorsi, and erector spinae at T10 and L3. They were stabilized from the hip down, and the shoulder harness of the AROT was applied to their shoulders. These subjects performed maximal isometric axial rotations to the left and right in a random order. The torque and 14 channels of EMG were monitored, and their magnitude, slope of the increase in magnitude, and timing of the anticipation and onset activity were determined. The results revealed that the females produced 65% of the torque of their male counterparts. The pattern and magnitude of EMG in performing these tasks were significantly different between males and females (P<0.01). Males generated the greatest activity in their ipsilateral latissimus dorsi followed by their contralateral external oblique muscles. In the females, maximal EMG activity was observed in their contralateral pectoralis muscle. Thus, under the current experimental conditions, the females employed a different muscle recruitment strategy compared to the males. Each muscle involved in axial rotation was significantly different from the other (P < 0.01). The timing pattern for these activities was inconsistent, implying that there is no fixed-order phasic recruitment of the torso muscles during maximal isometric axial rotation.