Effect of selective fatiguing of the shank muscles on single-leg-standing sway

Control of standing requires the continuous activity of the leg muscles. In single leg standing the system is less redundant and muscular activity is more intensive. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of force imbalance of the shank muscles, evoked by their selective fatiguing, on postural control in single-leg standing. Five healthy subjects performed two single-leg standing trials, lasting as long as the subject could maintain steady balance, and separated by a 240s quasi-isotonic sustained effort to induce fatigue of the Tibialis Anterior and Peroneus muscles. The following were on-line monitored: sway-related parameters, e.g., ground reaction force and center of pressure in the standing trials; and electromyogram of the Tibialis Anterior, Peroneus and Gastrocnemius muscles in all experiments. Simple and multiple linear regressions served to study the fatigue effects on the relationship between muscle activity and postural sway. The results indicate that the evoked muscle imbalance leads to (a) increased postural sway; (b) increased correlation between muscle activity, and sway-related parameters. Thus, with the reduction of the level of redundancy the system becomes more synchronized. These results have potential relevance for cases of muscle impairment, in which electrical stimulation is required to augment muscle activity.