Human motor units studied by intramuscular microstimulation

We recorded twitch parameters of motor units of the human first dorsal interosseus muscle applying low-rate intramuscular microstimulation of motor axons (IMS) or spike-triggered averaging (STA). The values of contraction time, half-relaxation time and maximal rate of rise of force were significantly smaller in the STA studies. The reduction corresponded to the effect expected from partial twitch fusion. Twitch amplitudes, however, were not smaller than those in the IMS studies, indicating that other factors, such as motor unit synchronization, compensate for the effects of partial fusion.