Mechanomyogram and electromyogram responses of upper limb during sustained isometric fatigue with varying shoulder and elbow postures.

To investigate the behavior of mechanomyogram (MMG) and electromyogram (EMG) signals in the time and frequency domains during sustained isometric contraction, MMG and surface EMG were obtained simultaneously from four muscles: upper trapezius (TP), anterior deltoid (DL), biceps brachii (BB), and brachioradialis (BR) of 10 healthy male subjects. Experimental conditions consisted of 27 combinations of 9 postures [3 shoulder angles (SA): 0 degree, 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 3 elbow angles (EA): 120 degrees, 90 degrees, 60 degrees] and 3 contraction levels: 20%, 40%, and 60% of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Subjective evaluations of fatigue were also assessed using the Borg scale at intervals of 60, 30, and 10 sec at 20%, 40%, and 60% MVC tests, respectively. The mean power frequency (MPF) and root mean square (RMS) of both signals were calculated. The current study found clear and significant relationships among physiological and psychological parameters on the one hand and SA and EA on the other. EA's effect on MVC was found to be significant. SA had a highly significant effect on both endurance time and Borg scale. In all experimental conditions, significant correlations were found between the changes in MPF and RMS of EMG in BB with SA and EA (or muscle length). In all four muscles, MMG frequency content was two or three times lower than EMG frequency content. During sustained isometric contraction, the EMG signal showed the well-known shift to lower frequencies (a continuous decrease from onset to completion of the contraction). In contrast, the MMG spectra did not show any shift, although its form changed (generally remaining about constant). Throughout the contraction, increased RMS of EMG was found for all tests, whereas in the MMG signal, a significant progressive increase in RMS was observed only at 20% MVC in all four muscles. This supports the hypothesis that the RMS amplitude of the MMG signal produced during contraction is highly correlated with force production. Possible explanations for this behavioral difference between the MMG and EMG signals are discussed.

[1]  Barry Dt,et al.  Vibrations and sounds from evoked muscle twitches. , 1992 .

[2]  T. McMahon,et al.  The mechanism of low-frequency sound production in muscle. , 1987, Biophysical journal.

[3]  E. Simonson,et al.  Psychological aspects and physiological correlates of work and fatigue , 1977 .

[4]  T. W. Van Weerden,et al.  Relationship between average muscle fibre conduction velocity and EMG power spectra during isometric contraction, recovery and applied ischemia , 2004, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[5]  D. Barry,et al.  Muscle sounds are emitted at the resonant frequencies of skeletal muscle , 1990, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[6]  M. Stokes,et al.  Acoustic myography for investigating human skeletal muscle fatigue. , 1991, Journal of applied physiology.

[7]  Joseph P. Weir,et al.  Mechanomyographic and electromyographic responses during fatigue in humans: influence of muscle length , 2000, European Journal of Applied Physiology.

[8]  D. Mcintyre,et al.  Effects of length and stimulation frequency on fatigue of the human tibialis anterior muscle. , 1994, Journal of applied physiology.

[9]  M. Watakabe,et al.  Acoustic and electrical activities during voluntary isometric contraction of biceps brachii muscles in patients with spastic cerebral palsy , 1996, Muscle & nerve.

[10]  D T Barry,et al.  Acoustic myography: A noninvasive monitor of motor unit fatigue , 1985, Muscle & nerve.

[11]  W Herzog,et al.  Assessment of muscular fatigue using vibromyography , 1994, Muscle & nerve.

[12]  A. Ng,et al.  Acoustic myography compared to electromyography during isometric fatigue and recovery , 1993, Muscle & nerve.

[13]  C Orizio,et al.  Effect of acclimatization to high altitude (5,050 m) on motor unit activation pattern and muscle performance. , 1994, Journal of applied physiology.

[14]  D T Barry,et al.  Muscle sounds from evoked twitches in the hand. , 1991, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[15]  M. Stokes,et al.  Muscle sounds during voluntary and stimulated contractions of the human adductor pollicis muscle. , 1992, Journal of applied physiology.

[16]  Charles L. Webber,et al.  Lumbar paraspinal muscle fatigability in repetitive isoinertial loading: EMG spectral indices, Borg scale and endurance time , 1997, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[17]  C. Orizio.  Muscle sound: bases for the introduction of a mechanomyographic signal in muscle studies. , 1993, Critical reviews in biomedical engineering.

[18]  Matthias Keidel,et al.  Relationship between electrical and vibratory output of muscle during voluntary contraction and fatigue , 1991, Muscle & nerve.

[19]  C Orizio,et al.  Spectral analysis of muscular sound at low and high contraction level. , 1988, International journal of bio-medical computing.

[20]  Carlo J. De Luca,et al.  Physiology and Mathematics of Myoelectric Signals , 1979 .

[21]  D. Mealing,et al.  Muscle Sound Frequency Analysis From Fast And Slow Twitch Muscle , 1991, Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Volume 13: 1991.

[22]  G. Matheson,et al.  Vibromyography as a quantitative measure of muscle force production. , 1997, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine.

[23]  R. A. Ashley,et al.  Vibrations and sounds produced during sustained voluntary muscle contraction. , 1989, Electromyography and clinical neurophysiology.

[24]  C. Orizio,et al.  Surface mechanomyogram reflects muscle fibres twitches summation. , 1996, Journal of biomechanics.

[25]  W. Herzog,et al.  Mechanism of electrically elicited muscle vibrations in the in situ cat soleus muscle , 1996, Muscle & nerve.

[26]  Motoki Kouzaki,et al.  Mechanomyogram from the different heads of the quadriceps muscle during incremental knee extension , 1998, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[27]  T. Franke,et al.  Acoustic myography during isometric fatigue in postpolio and control subjects , 1996, Muscle & nerve.

[28]  C. Orizio,et al.  Changes of muscular sound during sustained isometric contraction up to exhaustion. , 1989, Journal of applied physiology.

[29]  F. Figura,et al.  Electromyographic and phonomyographic patterns in muscle atrophy in man , 1974 .

[30]  J. W. McBride,et al.  Frequency Domain Analysis Of Muscle Sound During Fatigue Of Human Quadriceps , 1990, [1990] Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[31]  C. D. De Luca,et al.  Myoelectrical manifestations of localized muscular fatigue in humans. , 1984, Critical reviews in biomedical engineering.

[32]  G.D. Bell,et al.  A comparative study of simultaneous vibromyography and electromyography with active human quadriceps , 1992, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[33]  J M Walsh,et al.  Muscle fatigue and muscle length interaction: effect on the EMG frequency components. , 1995, Electromyography and clinical neurophysiology.

[34]  L. Haugh,et al.  Comparison of acoustic and electrical signals from erectores spinae muscles , 1988, Muscle and Nerve.

[35]  T. R. Thompson,et al.  Recording sound from human skeletal muscle: Technical and physiological aspects , 1989, Muscle & nerve.

[36]  D T Barry,et al.  Acoustic signals from frog skeletal muscle. , 1987, Biophysical journal.

[37]  A. Holbourn,et al.  The sounds from single motor units in a contracting muscle , 1948, The Journal of physiology.

[38]  Y Shimomura,et al.  Changes in surface EMG and acoustic myogram parameters during static fatiguing contractions until exhaustion: influence of elbow joint angles. , 2001, Journal of physiological anthropology and applied human science.

[39]  D. Chaffin,et al.  A proposed standard procedure for static muscle strength testing. , 1974, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[40]  B. Maton,et al.  Phonomyogram and electromyogram relationships with isometric force reinvestigated in man , 2004, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[41]  G. Somjen,et al.  FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CELL SIZE IN SPINAL MOTONEURONS. , 1965, Journal of neurophysiology.

[42]  H. Freund.  Motor unit and muscle activity in voluntary motor control. , 1983, Physiological reviews.

[43]  M. Stokes,et al.  Frequency of acoustic myography during isometric contraction of fresh and fatigued muscle and during dynamic contractions , 1993, Muscle & nerve.

[44]  J. Petrofsky,et al.  The effect of elbow angle on the isometric strength and endurance of the elbow flexors in men and women. , 1980, Journal of human ergology.

[45]  R. Burke.  Motor Units: Anatomy, Physiology, and Functional Organization , 1981 .

[46]  W D Keidel,et al.  The Computer-Vibromyography as a Biometric Progress in Studying Muscle Function - Die Computer-Vibromyographie - Ein biometrischer Ansatz zur Messung mechanischer Muskelaktivität , 1989, Biomedizinische Technik. Biomedical engineering.

[47]  D. Mealing,et al.  Vibromyographic recording from human muscles with known fibre composition differences. , 1996, British journal of sports medicine.

[48]  Vibrations and sounds produced during sustained voluntary muscle contraction. , 1989 .

[49]  G. Borg.  Psychophysical scaling with applications in physical work and the perception of exertion. , 1990, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[50]  T Moritani,et al.  Intramuscular and surface electromyogram changes during muscle fatigue. , 1986, Journal of applied physiology.

[51]  W. Herzog,et al.  The effect of muscle length on electrically elicited muscle vibrations in the in-situ cat soleus muscle. , 1997, Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology.

[52]  A. McComas,et al.  Influence of human muscle length on fatigue. , 1985, The Journal of physiology.

[53]  Caldwell Ls.  Relative muscle loading and endurance. , 1963 .

[54]  D T Barry,et al.  Vibrations and sounds from evoked muscle twitches. , 1992, Electromyography and clinical neurophysiology.

[55]  H. Yack,et al.  Acoustic myography as an indicator of force during sustained contractions of a small hand muscle. , 1991, Journal of applied physiology.

[56]  C. Orizio,et al.  Spectral analysis of muscular sound during isometric contraction of biceps brachii. , 1990, Journal of applied physiology.

[57]  A. Veicsteinas,et al.  Time and frequency domain analysis of electromyogram and sound myogram in the elderly , 2004, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[58]  T Moritani,et al.  The muscle sound properties of different muscle fiber types during voluntary and electrically induced contractions. , 1999, Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology.

[59]  J. S. Jaffe,et al.  Low frequency sounds from sustained contraction of human skeletal muscle. , 1980, Biophysical journal.

[60]  Muscle Contraction Interference In Acceleration Vibroarthrography , 1990, [1990] Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[61]  M. Stokes,et al.  Acoustic myographic activity increases linearly up to maximal voluntary isometric force in the human quadriceps muscle , 1991, Journal of the Neurological Sciences.