ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC CHANGES OF CALF MUSCLES WITH WALKING BOOT: THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The EMG activities of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle of five normal subjects were measured during non-weight bearing, heel and normal walking either with or without using a walking boot. The boot was set to plantigrade initially, then equinus by either adding a wedge inside or by adjusting the hinge. Results showed that heel walking has significantly lower EMG activities than normal walking while non-weight-bearing walking has the lowest activity. The wedge has no effect on decreasing the calf muscle EMG activity. Locking the boot into equinus produced a paradoxically higher EMG activity and a rather awkward gait.