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Related Concept Videos

Muscles of the Shoulder01:23

Muscles of the Shoulder

The muscles surrounding the shoulder girdle, including the clavicle and scapula, primarily stabilize the scapula. This stable base allows other muscles to move the humerus effectively. Scapular movements often mirror those of the humerus and extend its range of motion. For instance, raising the arm above the head would not be feasible without simultaneous upward rotation of the scapula.
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The anterior thoracic muscles include the serratus anterior, subclavius, and...
Muscles that Move the Arm01:31

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Nine muscles are involved in arm movements. Two of these, the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi, originate from the axial skeleton and are called axial muscles. The other seven originate from the scapula and are called the scapular muscles.
The pectoralis major has two origins. Its clavicular head originates on the medial half of the clavicle. In contrast, the sternocostal head originates on the costal cartilages of ribs 1-6, the sternum, and the aponeurosis of the external oblique of the...
Muscle Coordination and Action01:24

Muscle Coordination and Action

Muscle coordination is a complex and finely tuned process essential for smooth and purposeful movements like flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and rotation. The human body orchestrates the actions of various muscles working in concert, each with a specific role. Four functional types describe how muscles work together: agonist, antagonist, synergist, and fixator.
Agonists
Agonist muscles, often called prime movers, are the primary muscles responsible for producing a specific movement.
Axial and Appendicular Muscles01:18

Axial and Appendicular Muscles

Skeletal muscles, the key players in our body's movement, can be classified into two groups based on their location and function: axial muscles and appendicular muscles. These classifications reflect the primary roles the muscles play in the body's structure and movement.
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Axial muscles, situated along the body's midline, are intricately connected to the axial skeleton, which includes the skull, spine, ribs, and sternum. These muscles facilitate facial expressions and play a...

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Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
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Published on: March 12, 2021

Quantifying 'normal' shoulder muscle activity during abduction.

James Wickham1, Tania Pizzari, Katie Stansfeld

  • 1School of Human Biosciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia. jwickham@csu.edu.au

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology : Official Journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology
|July 24, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study established a reference database for healthy shoulder muscle activation during abduction/adduction using electromyography (EMG). Findings reveal consistent patterns in prime mover muscle activity, crucial for comparing with pathological shoulder conditions.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Neuroscience
  • Kinesiology

Background:

  • Electromyography (EMG) is vital for understanding muscle function.
  • Establishing normative data for shoulder muscle activation is essential for clinical diagnostics.
  • Pathological shoulder conditions often present with altered muscle activation patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To create a reference database of electromyography (EMG) activity in healthy shoulders.
  • To analyze temporal and intensity characteristics of shoulder muscle activation during coronal plane abduction/adduction.
  • To provide a baseline for comparison with pathological shoulder musculature.

Main Methods:

  • Surface and intramuscular fine-wire electrodes were used to record EMG data.
  • EMG activity was captured from 15 shoulder muscles in 24 healthy subjects.
  • Subjects performed dynamic abduction/adduction movements with light weights while EMG was recorded at 2000 Hz.

Main Results:

  • The supraspinatus muscle initiated the movement, followed by the middle trapezius and middle deltoid.
  • Prime movers like the supraspinatus and middle deltoid reached peak activation or highest %MVC early in the movement.
  • Reproducible activation patterns were observed, particularly in prime mover muscles, indicating 'invariant characteristics' of normal shoulder function.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully generated a reference database for healthy shoulder EMG.
  • Consistent 'invariant characteristics' of muscle activation were identified in healthy shoulders.
  • The methodology is suitable for future research requiring control data for pathological shoulder studies.