Using a cost function based on kinematics and electromyographic data to quantify muscle forces

A reliable evaluation of muscle forces in the human body is highly desirable for several applications in both clinical and research contexts. Several models of muscle force distribution based on non-invasive measurements have been proposed since 1836 (Weber and Weber, 1836), amongst which Crowninshield's model (Crowninshield and Brand, 1981), which maximizes a cost-function representing the muscle fiber endurance, is the most popular. It is worth noting that Crowninshield's model is the most widely adopted notwithstanding its major limitations of physiological coherence. Forster et al. (2004) pointed out that "these (conventional) criteria however do not predict co-contraction adequately". Besides, electromyographic (EMG)-driven models have been proposed to assess individual muscle forces, which have not been broadly adopted due to their complexity and the need for a calibration before each test. In this context, a cost function based on kinematic and electromyographic data could provide the advantage of being physiologically more coherent with muscle activations compared to conventional cost-functions based on kinematics solely, and easier to use than the EMG-driven models. The objective of this study is to propose the first cost-function based on kinematics and electromyographic data to quantify muscle forces. When applying this new cost-function on a database of upper limb motions data of 17 subjects, healthy or with cerebral palsy, the muscle force prediction of the proposed model was 17.74% more coherent with the EMG pattern than the prediction of Crowninshield's model. And on average, these results were more consistent whether the subjects were healthy or with cerebral palsy. In conclusion, we propose this cost-function for the quantification of muscle forces.