Electromyography

Electromyography: Technique of recording the electrical activity of motor unit firing , Not muscle force
per se, but the ECG electrical signal sent by the motor nerves to muscle fibers to create force
⦁ The electromyogram is the trace of the electrical signal detected by the electrode
⦁ • Uses electrodes applied on the skin (surface) or implanted into the muscle (indwelling) as

“antennas” to pick up voltage signals

It has been noted that the relaxing muscle doesn’t produce voltage, the EMG signals are generated in
case of muscle contractions, also EMG increases in magnitude with the muscle tension.
Factors, which can influence the EMG signal:
• Velocity of shortening or lengthening of the muscle
• Fatigue;
• Reflex activity.

-The electrical signals generated in the muscle fibers are called muscle action potential (m.a.p.).

- Electrodes placed on the surface of a muscle or inside the muscle tissue (indwelling electrodes) will
record the algebraic sum of all m.a.p. ‘s. which are being transmitted along the muscle fibers.
-The signal between the EMG electrodes corresponds to the depolarization wave front and to the
subsequent repolarization wave.
Depolarization process
• quite rapid process
• The leading edge of the wavefront is quite sharp
• The magnitude of the m.a.p – quite big.
Repolarization process
• quite comparatively slow process
• The leading edge of the wave front is not sharp
• The magnitude of the m.a.p – quite small.

• Most EMG’s require two electrodes over the muscle site.

• The voltage waveform that is recorded, is the difference in potentials between the two electrodes.
 difference in potentials between the two electrodes.

• The voltage waveform at each electrode is almost the same but

is shifted in time.
• The similarity between both waveforms is higher when the
electrodes are closer.
• The differential signal between electrodes is smaller in case of
nearly located electrodes.

Application of the EMG signals:

• Muscle diagnostics
• Control of prosthetics and orthoses
• FES
 Factors affecting the electromyogram
Intrinsic factors:
Muscle fiber diameter involved in the signal
⦁ – Number of muscle fibers involved in the signal
⦁ – Muscle fiber conduction velocity
⦁ – Muscle fiber type
⦁ – Muscle fiber location
⦁ – Motor unit firing rate
⦁ – Muscle blood flow
– Distance from the electrode to the muscle fiber
⦁ – Amount and type of tissue surrounding the muscle
⦁ – Hydration state of the muscle
⦁ – Number of active motor units
⦁ – Fatigue
⦁ – Temperature
Extrinsic factors:
-Characteristics of the electrode-skin interface
⦁ – Signal conditioning
⦁ – Inter-Electrode spacing
⦁ – Ambient noise
1. • Power line hum
2. • Machinery
3. • Cross – talk (signals from sources other than what is studied)

– Distance between the electrode and the motor point