Investigation of Differences in the Firing Patterns of Paraspinal Muscle Electromyography in Healthy Subjects.

Authors

Hirokazu Shitogishi, Daisuke Yamabe, Makoto Suzuki, Yusuke Chiba, Hirotaka Yan, Ryo Hatayama, Hideki Murakami, Yasushi Chida, Kenichiro Kakutani, Minoru Doita

Published in

Spine surgery and related research. Volume 10. Issue 5. Pages 787-794. Sep 27, 2026. Epub May 08, 2026.

Abstract

Limited data exist regarding the contraction and relaxation patterns of paraspinal muscles (PSMs) during dynamic tasks like gait in healthy individuals. Our preliminary findings, as a cross-sectional study, suggested the existence of distinct, highly individualized activation patterns of PSMs. This study aimed to classify these patterns and to investigate their relationships with functional mobility parameters.
A total of 57 healthy volunteers participated in 10-m gait and Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) tests. Paraspinal electromyography (EMG), tri-axial acceleration, and angular velocity were simultaneously recorded using wireless sensors at the lumbar region. Participants were classified into four distinct types (Types A, B, C, and D) based on the synchronization of PSMs EMG with vertical acceleration and EMG amplitude during gait. Functional parameters were compared using analysis of variance and Dunnett's post hoc tests (vs. Type A). Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the predictability of Type C.
Type C (n=20), characterized by extremely weak PSMs EMG firing (≤±1300 μV) during gait, showed several functional impairments compared with Type A: significantly longer TUG completion time (p<0.05), and shallower anteroposterior inclination angle and reduced pitch angular velocity during the sit-to-stand transition (both p<0.05). Logistic regression confirmed that Type C could be reliably distinguished from Type A (area under the curve ≤0.973) using a combination of EMG-root mean square (EMG-RMS) and kinematic parameters.
Healthy individuals exhibit characteristic individual differences in PSM activation during walking and rising. The group with extremely weak PSM activation (Type C) showed compromised physical function and altered postural control strategies, suggesting that these neuromuscular patterns may reflect subtle functional variations, potentially acting as preclinical indicators of future functional decline.

PMID:
42893316
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Oct 2026.

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