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Electrical activity and arm muscle force in postoperative fatigue
Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Postoperative abdominal surgery patients experienced increased muscle fatigue and decreased muscle force and endurance. These changes, measured by electromyography, suggest reduced muscle performance due to fatigue.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Surgical Recovery
Background:
- Postoperative recovery often involves significant physiological changes.
- Muscle function can be impaired following surgical procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in elbow flexor muscle force and fatigue after abdominal surgery.
- To correlate subjective fatigue with objective electromyographic (EMG) and muscle performance measures.
Main Methods:
- Assessed muscle force and quantitative electromyography (EMG) in 20 patients before and 20 days after elective abdominal surgery.
- Measured fatigue, muscle force, and endurance (duration of sustained contraction).
Main Results:
- Significant increase in subjective fatigue postoperatively (from 3.4 to 7.0 units).
- Approximately 10% decrease in muscle force and reduced endurance (426 to 301 seconds).
- Postoperative fatigue correlated with decreased muscle force and endurance (r=0.45 and r=0.5).
Conclusions:
- Decreased muscle performance after abdominal surgery appears to be secondary to muscle fatigue.
- EMG findings suggest altered motor unit activation and increased muscle effort during sustained contractions.