Measurement of muscle fiber conduction velocity in the human masseter muscle using the surface EMG cross-correlation technique.

During sustained isometric contraction of the jaw muscles, the surface electromyography (EMG) power spectrum compresses into lower frequencies. This compression has been mainly attributed to the change of the conduction velocity of the action potentials along the muscle fibers. In this study, the muscle fiber conduction velocity of the masseter muscle was measured by using the surface electrode array and the cross-correlation technique. The conduction velocity of the masseter muscle varied from 6.83 to 18.01 m/s among the eight subjects, and slightly increased with the contraction level.