THE EFFECT OF SURGICAL FLOOR MATS IN PROLONGED STANDING - AN EMG STUDY OF THE LUMBAR PARASPINAL AND ANTERIOR TIBIALIS MUSCLES

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not surgical flo or mats affect low back and leg muscle activity during prolonged stand ing. The EMG activity was measured continuously using surface electrod es on the paraspinal muscles of the low back and on the anterior tibia lis muscles; the subjects were normal and stood on two different surfa ces. Six male subjects were each instructed to stand for two hours on a specially designed surgical floor mat and then, on a separate day, t o stand for two hours on a linoleum-covered concrete surface. Six othe r subjects carried out the same procedure, but stood on the linoleum f irst. There was no difference in EMG activity obtained from the anteri or tibialis muscles and paraspinal muscles of the low back when the su bjects stood on the surgical mat, as compared with the linoleum-covere d concrete.