AIM: To investigate the uniformity of the muscle motor point location for muscles of the lower limb in healthy subjects and to provide indications for proper positioning of the stimulation electrodes over the investigated muscles. METHODS: Forty healthy subjects of both genders (age range: 18-55 ys) were recruited and evaluated. The main muscle motor points were identified for the following ten muscles of the lower limb (dominant side): vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis of the quadriceps group, hamstrings muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus), tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius. The muscle motor point was identified by scanning the skin surface with a stimulation pen electrode (small size cathode: 1-cm2 surface) and corresponded to the location of the skin surface generating the maximal mechanical response with the minimum injected current. For each investigated muscle, square pulses were delivered through the pen electrode at low current amplitude (<10 mA) and frequency (2 Hz) and a large electrode (50x80 mm) was placed over the antagonist muscle to close the stimulation current loop (monopolar stimulation). RESULTS: Sixteen motor points were identified in the ten investigated muscles of the lower limb: 3 motor points for the vastus lateralis, 2 motors point for rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior, 1 motor point for the remaining muscles (an example of the motor points identified for the gastrocnemii muscles is reported in Figure 1). An important inter-individual variability has been observed for the location of 8 out of 16 motor points, especially for the motor points identified in the hamstrings and gastrocnemii muscles. CONCLUSION: These observations have relevance to develop guiding recommendations for proper positioning of the stimulation electrodes, in order to increase standardisation and effectiveness of the stimulation procedures. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Supported by Regional Health Administration Project “Ricerca Sanitaria Finalizzata” and by Compagnia di San Paolo Project “NICEM”.
Atlas of the muscle motor points for lower limb muscles
LANFRANCO, Fabio;MINETTO, Marco Alessandro
2010-01-01
Abstract
AIM: To investigate the uniformity of the muscle motor point location for muscles of the lower limb in healthy subjects and to provide indications for proper positioning of the stimulation electrodes over the investigated muscles. METHODS: Forty healthy subjects of both genders (age range: 18-55 ys) were recruited and evaluated. The main muscle motor points were identified for the following ten muscles of the lower limb (dominant side): vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and vastus lateralis of the quadriceps group, hamstrings muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus), tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius. The muscle motor point was identified by scanning the skin surface with a stimulation pen electrode (small size cathode: 1-cm2 surface) and corresponded to the location of the skin surface generating the maximal mechanical response with the minimum injected current. For each investigated muscle, square pulses were delivered through the pen electrode at low current amplitude (<10 mA) and frequency (2 Hz) and a large electrode (50x80 mm) was placed over the antagonist muscle to close the stimulation current loop (monopolar stimulation). RESULTS: Sixteen motor points were identified in the ten investigated muscles of the lower limb: 3 motor points for the vastus lateralis, 2 motors point for rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior, 1 motor point for the remaining muscles (an example of the motor points identified for the gastrocnemii muscles is reported in Figure 1). An important inter-individual variability has been observed for the location of 8 out of 16 motor points, especially for the motor points identified in the hamstrings and gastrocnemii muscles. CONCLUSION: These observations have relevance to develop guiding recommendations for proper positioning of the stimulation electrodes, in order to increase standardisation and effectiveness of the stimulation procedures. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Supported by Regional Health Administration Project “Ricerca Sanitaria Finalizzata” and by Compagnia di San Paolo Project “NICEM”.
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