Effects of different fatigue locations on upper body kinematics and inter-joint coordination in a repetitive pointing task

PLoS One. 2019 Dec 31;14(12):e0227247. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227247. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Studies have shown that muscle fatigue can lead to posture, joint angle, inter-joint coordination and variability alterations. However, the three-dimensional kinematic effects of localized muscular fatigue on a multijoint movement remain unclear. Healthy young adults (N = 17, 10 females) performed a standing repetitive pointing task when they were non-fatigued, and after localized muscle fatigue was induced at the elbow, the shoulder, and the trunk using isometric protocols performed until exhaustion. Joint angles and angular standard deviation (SD) of trunk, shoulder and elbow, and continuous relative phase (CRP) and CRP SD between trunk and shoulder, and shoulder and elbow were computed and compared between fatigue conditions. Results showed that trunk lateral flexion SD increased after fatigue of the elbow (0.1°, p = 0.04), shoulder (0.1°, p = 0.04) and trunk (0.1°, p<0.01). However, fatigue at different muscles brought different kinematic changes. Shoulder fatigue induced the greatest overall changes, with angular changes at all three joints. Trunk fatigue increased the shoulder horizontal abduction SD, elbow flexion SD and trunk-shoulder CRP. Elbow fatigue induced angular changes at trunk, shoulder and elbow, but did not affect CRP or CRP SD. This study highlights the crucial role of trunk variability in compensating for localized muscle fatigue during a repetitive upper limb task performed while standing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Back / physiology*
  • Elbow / physiology*
  • Elbow Joint / physiology
  • Female
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Movement / physiology
  • Muscle Fatigue / physiology*
  • Posture*
  • Shoulder / physiology*
  • Shoulder Joint / physiology
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This study was supported by PhD fellowships from the Bloomberg Manulife Fellowship, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Great Montreal (CRIR) Doctoral Bursary Program, Canadian MSK Rehab Research Network Trainee Award, Fond de Recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) and operating grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.