Force response to electrical stimulation of canine skeletal muscles.

Abstract In previous papers by the authors ( J. Biomechanics 14 , 579 and 587) studies of the modulated over-the-skin stimulation of human subjects are reported. The stimulation efficiency is quantified by recording the external pull induced by muscle contraction. This study is undertaken to obtain comparative data on live dogs where direct measurements of the muscle pull is possible. Results from the over-the-skin stimulation tests are compared with those obtained where the electrodes are placed directly on the muscle. Load sharing in a muscle group is also investigated when the electrodes are placed at different locations over the skin. Results from experiments on 39 dogs are discussed and compared to those obtained from the tests on human subjects.