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Published on: August 25, 2020
Effects of different movement directions on electromyography recorded from the shoulder muscles while passing the
Yoshinari Sakaki1, Fuminari Kaneko, Kota Watanabe
1Graduate School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Hitsujigaoka Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
Purpose:
We compared electromyography (EMG) recorded from the shoulder joint muscles in the same position for different movement directions.
Methods:
Fifteen healthy subjects participated. They performed shoulder elevation from 0° to 120°, shoulder depression from 120° to 0°, shoulder horizontal adduction from -15° to 105°, and shoulder horizontal abduction from 105° to -15°. The target positions were 90° shoulder elevation in the 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° planes (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° positions). EMG signals were recorded from the supraspinatus (SSP) muscle by fine-wire electrodes. EMG signals from the infraspinatus (ISP), anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, and posterior deltoid muscles were recorded using active surface electrodes.
Results:
During elevation and horizontal abduction, the SSP showed significantly higher activity than that shown during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 0°, 30°, and 60° positions. During elevation, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 90° position. During horizontal abduction, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression in the 90° position.
Conclusions:
When the movement tasks were performed in different movement directions at the same speed, each muscle showed characteristic activity.

