Abstract
The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of erector spinae muscle fatigue on trunk repositioning accuracy. Trunk repositioning accuracy in forward and lateral flexion was measured in 25 healthy men using a 3-Space Fastrak (Polhemus Inc., Colchester, VT, USA) with a transmitter on the sacrum and a sensor on Th9. The subjects reproduced 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 maximum forward and lateral flexion angle of the trunk before and immediately after fatiguing of the erector spinae muscle by repetitive maximum isokinetic trunk exertion. Average trunk repositioning errors in all the positions were measured. The results indicated that, in both forward and lateral flexion, the trunk repositioning error was significantly (p<0.05) greater after the fatiguing procedure than under normal conditions (paired t-test). In conclusion, fatigue of the erector spinae muscles significantly decreases the trunk repositioning accuracy in both forward and lateral flexion.
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