Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Soleus H-Reflex Excitability Changes In Response To Sinusoidal Hip Stretches In The Injured Human Spinal Cord, Maria Knikou, Brian D. Schmit, Debjani Chaudhuri, Elizabeth Kay, William Zev Rymer

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Imposed static hip stretches substantially modulate the soleus H-reflex in people with an intact or injured spinal cord while stretch of the hip flexors affect the walking pattern in lower vertebrates and humans. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of dynamic hip stretches on the soleus H-reflex in supine spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects. Sinusoidal movements were imposed on the right hip joint at 0.2 Hz by a Biodex system. H-reflexes from the soleus muscle were recorded as the leg moved in flexion or extension. Stimuli were sent only once in every hip movement cycle that …