Comparative Electromyographic Study of Scapular Stabilizing Muscles During Five Main Rehabilitation Exercises.

Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the surface electromyographic amplitude, activation ratio, and onset latency of the main scapular stabilizing muscles between five typical rehabilitative exercises.

Design: Twenty-seven healthy participants performed five scapular exercises (wall slide, wall push-up plus, prone horizontal abduction with external rotation, external rotation in side lying, and low row) while simultaneously recording surface electromyographic of serratus anterior, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, and upper trapezius. Surface electromyographic amplitudes, onset latencies, and activation ratios were calculated.

Rehabilitation Exercises for Dysfunction of the Scapula: Exploration of Muscle Activity Using Fine-Wire EMG.

Background: Scapular muscle activity during shoulder exercises has been explored with surface electromyography (EMG). However, knowledge about the activity of deeper-layer scapular muscles is still limited.

Purpose: To investigate EMG activation of the deeper-layer scapular stabilizers (levator scapulae [LS], rhomboid major [RM], pectoralis minor [Pm] muscles) together with superficial muscle activity (upper [UT], middle [MT], and lower trapezius [LT] and serratus anterior [SA]) during 4 exercises often used for training scapular function.