Summary
Gait variables, pelvic rotations in the frontal and sagittal plane and RA-EMG (rectified and averaged EMG) of the three colums of the intrinsic lumbar back muscles (=ILBM) were recorded simulateosly during 48 succeeding strides of 11 subjects on a treadmill.
Bilateral activity is found in all parts of the ILBM during the double support phase. After right heel strike the right ILBM (and after left heel strike the left) show in most cases more activity than the contralateral ILBM. This is especially so in the intermediate and lateral colums, which consist mainly of the longissimus thoracis and the iliocostalis lumborum muscle and less so in the medial column, made up mainly by the multifidus and spinalis muscle. This difference is probably due to the difference in moment arm for the two directions.
Pelvic rotations are described, but no evident relationships between pelvic rotations in the different planes and ILBM-activity could be seen, probably because the changes in the position of the torso are of more importance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander R.McN, Bennet-Clark HC (1977) Storage of elastic strain energy in muscle and other tissues. Nature 265:114–117
Andersson BJG, Jonsson B, Ortengren, R (1974) Myoelectric activity in individual lumbar erector spinae muscles in sitting. A study with surface and wire electrodes. Scand J Rehab Med [Suppl] 3:91–108
Battey CK, Joseph J (1966) An investigation by telemetering of the activity of some muscles in walking. Med Biol Eng 4:125–135
Belenky VE (1973) Study of the movements of the pelvis and spine during walking. Travmatology 17:37–43
Bogduk N (1980) A reappraisal of the anatomy of the human lumbar erector spinae. J Anat 131:525–540
Braus H (1954) Anatomie des Menschen, hrsg von C. Elze. Springer, Berlin, p 81 ff
Bustami F (1986) A new description of the lumbar erector spinae muscle in man. J Anat 144:81–91
Cappozzo A (1983) The forces and couples in the human trunk during level walking. J Biomech 16:265–277
Dofferhoff ASM, Vink P (1984) The stabilising function of the mm. iliocostales and the mm. multifidi during walking. J Anat 140:329–336
Inman VT, Ralston HJ, Todd F (1981). Human walking. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore
Jonsson B (1970) Topography of the lumbar part of the erector spinae muscle. Z Anat Entw Gesch 130:177–191
Kauer JMG, Wichers MJ, Wijkmans DW (1985) Treadmill made of conducting rubber in gait analysis. Med Biol Eng Comp 23:93–94
Leeuwen JL van, Vink P, Spoor CW, Deegenaars WC, Fraterman H, Verbout AJ (1988) A technique for measuring pelvic rotations during walking on a treadmill. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng (accepted for publication)
Macintosh JE, Valencia F, Bogduk N, Munro (1986). The morphology of the human lumbar multifidus. Clin Biomech 1:196–204
Rosenrot P, Wall JC, Charteris C (1980) The relationship between velocity, stride time, support time and swing time during normal walking. J Hum Mov Stud 6:323–335
Thurston AJ (1982) Repeatability studies of a television computer system for measuring spinal and pelvic movements. J Biomed Eng 4:129–132
Thurston AJ, Harris JD (1983) Normal kinematics of the lumbar spine and pelvis. Spine 8:199–205
Vink P (1986a) The force-IEMG relationship for different parts of the m. erector spinae. Acta Morphol Neerl Scand 24:36
Vink P (1986b) Registration of pelvic rotation in the frontal and sagital plane. Acta Morphol Neerl Scand 24:148
Vink P, Velde EA van der, Verbout AJ (1988) A functional subdivision of the lumbar extensor musculature. EMG Clin Neurophysiol 28:517–525
Waters RL, Morris JM (1972) Electrical activity of muscles of the trunk during walking. J Anat 96:509–520
Warwick R, Williams PL (1973) Gray's anatomy, 35th edn. Longmans London, p 510–513
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vink, P., Karssemeijer, N. Low back muscle activity and pelvic rotation during walking. Anat Embryol 178, 455–460 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306052
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306052