Age and gender effects on the proximal propagation of an impulsive force along the adult human upper extremity.

We tested the null hypotheses that neither age, gender nor muscle pre-cocontraction state affect the latencies of changes in upper extremity kinematics or elbow muscle activity following an impulsive force to the hand. Thirty-eight healthy young and older adult volunteers lay prone on an apparatus with shoulders flexed 75° and arms slightly flexed. The non-dominant hand was subjected to three trials of impulsive loading with arm muscles precontracted to 25, 50, or 75% of maximum pre-cocontraction levels. Limb kinematic data and upper extremity electromyographic (EMG) activity were acquired. The results showed that pre-cocontraction muscle level (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.05 for wrist and shoulder) affected joint displacement onset times and age affected EMG onset times (p < 0.05). The peak applied force (F1) occurred a mean (± SD) 27 (± 2) ms after impact. The latencies for the wrist, elbow, and shoulder displacements were 21 ± 3, 29 ± 5, and 34 ± 7 ms, respectively. Because the latencies for elbow flexion and lateral triceps EMG were 23 ± 5 and 84 ± 8 ms, respectively, muscle pre-activation rather than stretch reflexes prevent arm buckling under impulsive end loads.