Journal of biomechanics
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Journal of biomechanics · Feb 2018
The contribution of the supraspinatus muscle at sub-maximal contractions.
During maximum effort, the supraspinatus muscle contributes approximately 50% of the torque need to elevate the arm, but this has not been examined at sub-maximal levels. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of the supraspinatus muscle to shoulder elevation at sub-maximal levels. Seven healthy subjects (four males, three females) performed isometric ramp contractions at the shoulder. ⋯ The effect of angle (p = .67) and % maximal voluntary contraction (p = .13) on supraspinatus contribution were not significant. The maximum is slightly less than reported in a previous suprascapular nerve block study using maximal contractions. The results from this study can be used to assess supraspinatus contribution in rotator cuff tears, after rehabilitation interventions, and as a restraint in computation modelling.