Gubler-Hanna Coral, Laskin James, Marx Benjamin J, Leonard Charles T
Motor Control Research Laboratory, School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, College of Health and Biomedical Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Physiol Meas. 2007 Aug;28(8):913-24. doi: 10.1088/0967-3334/28/8/013. Epub 2007 Jul 19.
Myotonometric measurement of muscle compliance represents new technology that quantifies muscle tone. Compliance change during muscle contraction might provide an indirect measure of strength. The purpose of this study was to determine relationships among myotonometric measurements of muscle compliance, surface electromyographic (sEMG) measurements of muscle activation and joint force production during voluntary isometric knee extensions. The level of relationship will contribute to the construct validity of use of muscle compliance as an indirect strength measurement. Thirteen male subjects, mean age 25 +/- 1.5 years, participated. Simultaneous recordings of myotonometric, sEMG of the rectus femoris and isometric knee extension force measurements were taken at rest, during maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and during 33% and 66% MVC contractions. Relationships among the three measurement procedures were calculated using correlation and regression analyses. Myotonometric measures of muscle compliance, sEMG and force measurements were highly correlated. Myotonometric measurements were best represented by a curvilinear (quadratic) relationship to sEMG (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) and joint force (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). The present experiments establish the construct validity of myotonometric measurements of muscle compliance as an indirect means of quantifying muscle strength and activation levels. This method, therefore, offers a possible alternative for cases in which direct measurement of joint force or sEMG is difficult or inappropriate.
肌肉顺应性的肌张力测量法代表了一种量化肌张力的新技术。肌肉收缩过程中的顺应性变化可能提供力量的间接测量指标。本研究的目的是确定在自愿等长膝关节伸展过程中，肌肉顺应性的肌张力测量、肌肉激活的表面肌电图（sEMG）测量和关节力产生之间的关系。这种关系的程度将有助于验证将肌肉顺应性用作间接力量测量指标的结构效度。13名男性受试者参与了研究，平均年龄为25±1.5岁。在静息状态、最大自主收缩（MVC）期间以及33%和66%MVC收缩期间，同时记录肌张力、股直肌的sEMG和等长膝关节伸展力测量值。使用相关性和回归分析计算了这三种测量方法之间的关系。肌肉顺应性的肌张力测量、sEMG和力量测量高度相关。肌张力测量与sEMG（r = 0.82，p < 0.001）和关节力（r = 0.83，p < 0.001）之间的最佳关系呈曲线（二次）关系。本实验确立了肌肉顺应性的肌张力测量作为量化肌肉力量和激活水平的间接手段的结构效度。因此，对于直接测量关节力或sEMG困难或不合适的情况，这种方法提供了一种可能的替代方案。
