The effect of surgical floor mats in prolonged standing: an EMG study of the lumbar paraspinal and anterior tibialis muscles

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not surgical floor mats affect low back and leg muscle activity during prolonged standing. The EMG activity was measured continuously using surface electrodes on the paraspinal muscles of the low back and on the anterior tibialis muscles; the subjects were normal and stood on two different surfaces. Six male subjects were each instructed to stand for two hours on a specially designed surgical floor mat and then, on a separate day, to stand for two hours on a linoleum-covered concrete surface. Six other subjects carried out the same procedure, but stood on the linoleum first. There was no difference in EMG activity obtained from the anterior tibialis muscles and paraspinal muscles of the low back when the subjects stood on the surgical mat, as compared with the linoleum-covered concrete.