Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine within- and between-day reliability characteristics of
electromyographic (EMG) activity patterns of selected lower leg muscles and
kinematic variables in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and pes
planovalgus. METHODS: Five patients with RA underwent gait analysis barefoot and
shod on two occasions 1 week apart. Fine-wire (tibialis posterior [TP]) and
surface EMG for selected muscles and 3D kinematics using a multi-segmented foot
model was undertaken barefoot and shod. Reliability of pre-determined variables
including EMG activity patterns and inter-segment kinematics were analysed using
coefficients of multiple correlation, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC)
and the standard error of the measurement (SEM). RESULTS: Muscle activation
patterns within- and between-day ranged from fair-to-good to excellent in both
conditions. Discrete temporal and amplitude variables were highly variable across
all muscle groups in both conditions but particularly poor for TP and peroneus
longus. SEMs ranged from 1% to 9% of stance and 4% to 27% of maximum voluntary
contraction; in most cases the 95% confidence interval crossed zero. Excellent
within-day reliability was found for the inter-segment kinematics in both
conditions. Between-day reliability ranged from fair-to-good to excellent for
kinematic variables and all ICCs were excellent; the SEM ranged from 0.60 degrees
to 1.99 degrees . CONCLUSION: Multi-segmented foot kinematics can be reliably
measured in RA patients with pes planovalgus. Serial measurement of discrete
variables for TP and other selected leg muscles via EMG is not supported from the
findings in this cohort of RA patients. Caution should be exercised when EMG
measurements are considered to study disease progression or intervention effects.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS