Electromyographic activity of the cervical musculature during dynamic lateral bending

Electromyographic profiles from the neck muscles of five young, healthy men were obtained to study the muscular, activation patterns during dynamic external loading.

To examine the myoelectric activity of selected cervical muscles during dynamic loading, and to explore the reaction of the cervical muscles to different loading conditions.

The response of cervical muscles throughout dynamic external loading is not well understood. Electromyography provides information, within certain limitations, about the neural drive to various components of the musculature. Such information on activation, combined with geometric parameters of the musculoskeletal tissues, constitutes a tool for helping to understand the mechanism of head and neck impact-related injury.

Subjects were tested with the head and neck in the neutral and prebent positions. Dynamic loads were applied laterally to each subject by free-falling masses to create peak dynamic loads ranging from about 40 to 100 N. Force and electromyographic data were recorded, and cross-correlations from linear envelope electromyography were calculated.

The peak electromyogram showed large differences between the two applied loads and between subjects. There were time delays (75-165 msec) between the peak applied force and the peak electromyogram. The muscles on the contralateral side demonstrated different electromyographic profiles between subjects. Within subjects, the electromyographic profiles from each muscle were consistent for the same trial conditions.

Electromyographic profiles and the cross-correlator coefficients for cervical muscles have shown reproducible intrasubject muscle synergies, which were not sensitive to the magnitude of applied load and the posture of the head. Intersubject muscle activity patterns varied.