S. Ounpuu et al., USING SURFACE ELECTRODES FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE RECTUS FEMORIS, VASTUS MEDIALIS AND VASTUS LATERALIS MUSCLES IN CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL-PALSY, Gait & posture, 5(3), 1997, pp. 211-216
The purpose of this study was to determine if surface electrodes are a
dequate in the determination of the activity patterns of the rectus fe
moris, vastus medialis and vastus lateralis in children with cerebral
palsy (CP). Ninety patients with a diagnosis of CP underwent electromy
ography (EMG) testing. Surface electrodes were placed on the rectus fe
moris (RF), hamstrings, vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL)
. Muscle isolation tests revealed no cross-talk of the RF muscle on th
e vastii electrodes in any subject indicating surface EMG is sufficien
t for testing RF, VM and VL function in children. Muscle activation pa
tterns during gait showed that the RF and not the VM or VL was active
in mid-swing in the majority of cases.