Territory and fiber orientation of vastus medialis motor units: A Surface electromyography investigation

Alessio Gallina, Taian Vieira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

 Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine whether muscle fibers innervated by single motor neurons are confined in small subvolumes of the vastus medialis (VM) and if motor unit fiber orientation depends on their position within the muscle. Methods: Single motor units were identified from a grid of surface electrodes. The size of their surface representation and fiber orientation were extracted using an algorithm validated on simulated signals. Results: The action potentials of 77 motor units were represented locally on theskin (10th–90th percentiles: 14–25 mm). According to simulations, this indicates territories smaller than 11.8–64.8 mm. Motor units in distal regions of VM had fibers at a greater angle than those in proximal regions (R 5 –0.54, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Motor units with small territories and varying fiber orientations may be an anatomical predisposition to regulate how regions within VM apply forces to the patella. This could help to redistribute loads within the joint in painful conditions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1057-1065
Number of pages9
JournalMuscle & Nerve
Volume52
Issue number6
Early online date25 Mar 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2015

Keywords

  • compartmentalization
  • electromyography
  • motor unit
  • quadriceps
  • surface EMG
  • territory

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