Dysfunctional muscle activities and co-contraction in the lower-limb of lumbar disc herniation patients during walking

Wei Wang,Qin Zhao,Shouwei Yue,Yang Zhang,Runxiu Shi,Hui Wei,Ke Li,Xiaofeng Jia,Lechi Zhang,Leitong Lin

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77150-7

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate lower-limb muscle activities in gait phases and co-contraction of one gait cycle in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). This study enrolled 17 LDH patients and 17 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals. Bilateral muscle activities of the rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris long head (BL), tibialis anterior (TA), and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) during walking were recorded. The gait cycle was divided into four phases by the heel strike and top off according to the kinematics tracks. Root mean square (RMS), mean frequency (MF), and co-contraction of surface electromyography signals were calculated. The LDH patients showed enhanced BL RMS during the single support phase (SS), second double support phase, and swing phase (SW) as well as decreased MF of RF during SS and of TA and LG during SW (p < 0.05). The co-contraction of the TA-LG was increased in LDH patients than in the control group (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between TA-LG co-contraction (affected side, r = 0.557, p = 0.020; contralateral side, r = 0.627, p = 0.007) and the Oswestry disability index scores in LDH patients. LDH patients have increased BL firing rate and insufficient motor unit recruitment in specific phases in the lower limbs during walking. Dysfunction in LDH patients was associated with immoderate intermuscular co-contraction of the TA-LG during walking.

Highlights

This study aimed to investigate lower-limb muscle activities in gait phases and co-contraction of one gait cycle in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH)
Significant differences were observed between the contralateral side and the control groups in terms of mean frequency (MF) values of the biceps femoris long head (BL) during DS2 (t = − 2.206, p = 0.036), tibialis anterior (TA) during swing phase (SW) (t = − 3.001, p = 0.005), as well as lateral gastrocnemius (LG) during SW (t = − 2.588, p = 0.014) of the gait cycle
This study investigated the muscle activities and intermuscular co-contraction in the affected and contralateral sides of LDH patients and healthy controls during walking

Summary

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate lower-limb muscle activities in gait phases and co-contraction of one gait cycle in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). An abnormal gait pattern could lead to perturbation of the lower limb dynamics, increased joint stiffness, and asymmetrical loading of the lumbar spine. There are fewer studies involving lower limb muscle amplitude and frequency parameters during walking in LDH patients. In a previous study, reduced frequency and altered SEMG curves (timing characteristics) of the tibialis anterior (TA) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) were observed in the symptomatic limb of LDH patients during walking[5]. A previous study showed inadequate muscular coordination of LDH patients considering the greater co-contraction between antagonistic muscles around the lumbar region during backward b ending[3]. Co-contraction reflects the neuromuscular control and coordination between muscles during walking, the lower-limb intermuscular co-contraction during walking in LDH patients has not been reported

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