Functional potentials of forearm flexors and extensors before surgeries and in short-term periods after them in patients with contractures of the elbow

Abstract

10 male patients at the age of 13-25 with posttraumatic arthrogenic flexion-and-extension contractures of the elbow are investigated before treatment and in different periods after it. Methods of dynamometry and global electromyography are used. Objects of investigation: forearm flexors and extensors (musculus biceps and musculus triceps brachii). The indices analysed: moments of force of the mentioned muscular groups, force of hand grip, mean amplitude and frequency of total EMG oscillations, histograms of distribution of total EMG amplitudes, reciprocity coefficients. It is shown, that functional potentials of imuscles of an involved limb are decreased a little. Surgery and factors of apparatus treatment stimulate development of a specific reaction, characterized by fall and subsequent recovery of force and bioelectric characteristics of the tested muscles, accompanied by disproportions in conjugate activity of antagonist muscles, maintaining the elbow.