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Acta Physiologica Congress

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Acta Physiologica 2012; Volume 204, Supplement 689
91st Annual Meeting of The German Physiological Society
3/22/2012-3/25/2012
Dresden, Germany


CONCURRENT AND SYNERGISTIC ACTIVATION OF SELECTED MUSCLES OF SEVERELY AFFECTED HAEMOPHILIC ANKLE JOINTS DURING BIPEDAL STANDING
Abstract number: P305

Kurz1,2 *E., Herbsleb3 M., Anders2 C., Czepa1 D., Puta3 C., Hilberg1 T.

1University of Wuppertal, Department of Sports Medicine, Wuppertal, Germany
2University Hospital, Clinic for Trauma Surgery, Division for Motor Research, Jena, Germany
3Friedrich-Schiller-University, Department of Sports Medicine, Jena, Germany

Question: 

For people with haemophilia, simultaneous activation of antagonist muscles is important to increase joint stability. This has already been shown for muscles acting at the knee during upright standing. The aim of this investigation was to analyse functional inter-relations of ankle joint muscles of haemophilic patients compared to control subjects during non-perturbed bipedal standing.

Methods: 

Functional inter-relations of bilaterally recorded ankle muscles [tibialis anterior (TA), fibularis longus (FL), soleus (SO), and lateral (LG) and medial (MG) heads of gastrocnemius] were analyzed during bipedal side-by-side standing to identify muscular synergisms and antagonisms in 25 haemophilic patients (H, 23A, -2B, 22 severe, -3 moderate, age: 42 ± 9 years [mean ± SD]) and 25 non-haemophilic control subjects (C, age: 43 ± 12 years) by surface EMG (SEMG). Only considerably (Gilbert-Score >= 4) affected joints of H were regarded. In C and in cases of equally affected joints, both sides were pooled. SEMG amplitudes of each muscle were correlated with the SEMG values of the other investigated muscles acting the same joint using the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). Positive coefficient values represent synergisms, whereas negative coefficients are related to antagonistic behaviours.

Results: 

Positive inter-relations between ankle muscles could be detected during bipedal standing in H and C. In H, the correlation analysis revealed a significant synergistic link between all triceps surae muscles (r = 0.49–0.76, p < 0.05) and FL and MG (r = 0.51, p < 0.05). For C FL and LG, FL and SO as well as LG and SO (r = 0.53–0.59, p < 0.01) showed positive relations between SEMG amplitudes. Consistent but low negative coefficients could be determined among every measured plantar flexor and TA (r > –0.2, p > 0.05) in C only.

Conclusions: 

Anatomically defined antagonistic muscles of the ankle joints are acting in a functional synergistic manner during upright standing. The marked synergistic relationship in H might compensate for an inadequate activation level of plantar flexors. In conclusion we showed a noticeable synergism within triceps surae in H, whereas the expected antagonistic relationships could not be detected.

To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Acta Physiologica 2012; Volume 204, Supplement 689 :P305

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