TELEMETERING ELECTROMYOGRAPHY OF MUSCLES USED IN WALKING UP AND DOWN STAIRS

¹ Department of Anatomy, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London

1. Telemetering electromyography has been used to investigate the pattern of activity of certain muscles of the lower limb and back while the subjects walked up and down stairs.

2. During walking up and down stairs each limb has a supporting and swinging phase in each complete step.

3. Walking up stairs revealed the following facts. Firstly, raising the body on to the stair above is brought about by the contraction of the soleus, quadriceps femoris, hamstrings and gluteus maximus; the gluteus medius at the same time prevents the body falling on to the unsupported side. Secondly, the tibialis anterior dorsiflexes the foot during the swinging phase and helps the limb to clear the stair on which the supporting limb is placed. Thirdly, the hamstrings flex the leg at the knee in the early part of the swinging phase and control the terminal part of extension at the knee at the end of this phase. Fourthly, both erectores spinae contract twice in each step and control the forward bending of the body at the vertebral column.

4. Walking down stairs revealed the following. Firstly, the body is lowered on to the stair below by the controlled lengthening of the soleus and quadriceps femoris; the gluteus medius at the same time prevents the body from falling on to the unsupported side. Secondly, the tibialis anterior inverts the foot at the beginning of the supporting phase as the toe is placed on the stair below and dorsiflexes the foot in the middle of the swinging phase. Thirdly, the hamstrings control the extension of the leg at the knee during the middle of the swinging phase. Fourthly, both erectores spinae contract twice in each step and prevent forward bending of the trunk at the vertebral column.