Kinesiological surface electromyography in normal children: range of normal activity and pattern analysis
Wei-Ning Chang1, Jill Schuyler Lipton, Athanasios I Tsirikos
1Department of Orthopaedics, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Insights
This study establishes a normal database for surface kinesiological electromyography (KEMG) in children aged 3-18. The findings provide a benchmark for analyzing pediatric gait and muscle activity patterns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gait Analysis
- Kinesiological Electromyography
- Biomechanical Research
Background:
- Establishing normative data for surface kinesiological electromyography (KEMG) in children is crucial for accurate clinical gait analysis.
- Previous research has lacked comprehensive datasets for pediatric KEMG patterns across a wide age range.
Purpose of the Study:
- To document the range of activity and patterns of normal surface KEMG in typically developing children aged 3 to 18 years.
- To develop and validate algorithms for analyzing KEMG curve patterns and determining muscle activity onset/cessation.
- To create a normal database for pediatric KEMG during free walking.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 87 children (age 3-18) during free walking, analyzing 6307 gait cycles from 11 muscles.
- Developed custom software with algorithms for KEMG curve pattern recognition and amplitude/statistics-based criteria for activity detection.
- Collected data on timing, duration, anthropometrics (height, weight, BMI), cadence, stride length, and age for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Medial/lateral hamstrings, gluteus maximus/medius, and gastrocnemius showed the highest percentage of clinically relevant KEMG curves.
- Average background activity in most muscle groups was 11-15% of maximum amplitude.
- KEMG activity timing and duration showed weak correlations with age, height, weight, and BMI.
Conclusions:
- The ensemble average of linear envelope KEMG curves can serve as a normal database for pediatric clinical gait analysis.
- Identified specific muscles with high relevance in pediatric KEMG patterns.
- Highlighted the variability in KEMG timing and duration relative to anthropometric factors in children.
Abstract:
To document the range of activity and patterns of normal surface kinesiological electromyography in normal children, 87 children ranging from age 3 to 18 years who were developing normally were evaluated at free walking speed. Analysis was performed on 6307 gait cycles from 11 different muscles with custom software. We devised an algorithm to do a computer-based KEMG curve pattern analysis to sort out curves that did not match the physiologic muscle activity pattern, We also devised a combined preset amplitude and statistics-based criteria to satisfactorily determine the onset/cessation of KEMG activity. The measurements of timing and duration of activity, body height and weight, body mass index, cadence, stride length, and age were obtained for statistical analysis. From the pattern recognition, the medial and lateral hamstrings, gluteus maximus and medius, and gastrocnemius muscles had the highest percentage of clinically relevant curves. In most muscle groups, The KEMG curves had an average background activity of about 11-15% of maximum amplitude. The surface KEMG curves from normal subjects have 12.7% cycles that did not match their physiologic activity pattern. The timing and duration of KEMG activity was poorly or only fairly correlated with age, body height, body weight, and body mass index. The ensemble average of the linear envelope KEMG curves of each muscle could be applied as a normal database in a clinical gait analysis laboratory focusing on pediatric patients.
