The effect of surface electromyography placement on muscle activation amplitudes and timing

Abstract

Muscle activity detected by surface electromyography sensors can be affected by several factors, one of which is the location of sensor placement. The objective of this study is to determine how the location of the sensors affect the amplitudes and timing of muscle activity measured by the sensors during regular walking. A surface electromyography sensor placed on the vastus lateralis according to SENIAM guidelines was considered the “gold standard”. It appeared that sensors placed along the same muscle fibers showed less variability in muscle signal amplitude and timing compared to sensors located medially and laterally.