Evaluation of electrically elicited antagonist coactivation strategies. II. Load-moving contractions

For pt. I see ibid., p. 1159-60 (1995). Generally, applications of functional electrical stimulation to paralyzed limbs have involved the agonist prime mover without much emphasis on the role of the antagonist musculature. However, the need for anatomic stabilization of joints by antagonist muscles has been extensively documented throughout the physiology literature. In this study, the authors assessed the signal tracking capability of several coactivation strategies elicited by electrical stimulation using ramp inputs during contractions in which the joint was allowed to move a series of loads. The results indicate that a strategy with high antagonist activity will help maintain joint integrity during prolonged use of FES