Hi Ruth,

You would be best to use some of the key reliability papers such as Ditroilio et al 2013, Simunic 2012 and Tous-Fajardo et al 2010. Obviously, there are considerable differences depending on the selected muscle but just take care that the joint angle is controlled and the stimulation frequency used is within the ranges used in the aforementioned papers. However, it might be worth obtaining skin fold measurements from your participants as higher fat may filter the stimulus.

Hello Ruth

I am agree with Angus but we haven't found correlation of the values of fat percentage (%F), front thigh skinfold (FTS) and thigh girth (TG) to the maximal radial deformation (Dm) of the Rectus Femoris (RF) obtained using TMG in elite volleyball player (population different than yours) or in patients with alzheimer or parkinson.

On other hand, TMG has been used in the health field as a tool to control recovery processes and even to control the prevention mechanisms of numerous pathologies, such as muscular atrophy in amputees (Burger et al., 1996). Knez et al. (1999) compared the data gathered with TMG on the response of the biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles in people with neuromuscular problems and the values obtained in healthy subjects. Grabljevec et al. (2004) assessed the extensor muscles of both legs in 25 subjects suffering from poliomyelitis, finding that the values obtained with TMG showed a positive correlation with dynamometry values. In another study, Grabljevec et al. (2005) compared muscle strength and response in the muscles responsible for flexing and extending the knee in subjects with poliomyelitis and healthy subjects. Pisot et al. (2008) used TMG to assess the mechanical response of the biceps brachii, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris and medial gastrocnemius during a state of simulated weightlessness, with a bed-rest phase (35 days). Rusu et al. (2009) related TMG from the assessment of a patient with diabetic polyneuropathy associated with rheumatoid arthritis who had been operated on for spinal disc herniation to reference values obtained in an earlier study on healthy subjects. Neamtu et al. (2011) included TMG in multiple sclerosis monitoring to predict muscle changes during the course of this pathology. Rodríguez-Ruiz et al. (2012) used TMG to assess the effects of a physical activity program with tasks designed to work on balance, coordination, joint mobility, metabolic efficiency and muscle power on the muscle contraction ability of upper limb muscles in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Acctually we are using TMG in Parkinsons patients and fibromyalgia women .

Dear Ruth

This paper is from a member of RGGroup (Ezequiel Rey) and may be useful for you

Tensiomyography of selected lower-limb muscles in professional soccer players.

Ezequiel Rey, Carlos Lago-Peñas, Joaquín Lago-Ballesteros

Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.

Journal of electromyography and kinesiology: official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology (Impact Factor: 2). 07/2012; DOI:10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.06.003

Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Tensiomyography is a non-invasive method of neuromuscular assessment used to measure muscle action characteristics, muscle tone, and muscle fiber type, and provides information on acute and chronic responses of muscle to different training loads. The aims of the present study were: to analyse differences in muscle response and mechanical characteristics of two major muscles of the lower extremity in a large group of Spanish soccer players according to playing position, and to provide group norms against which clinical findings may be compared. Data were collected from 78 professional soccer players (age 26.6±4.4years; height: 179.2±5.3cm; body mass: 75.8±5.3kg). Tensiomyography was recorded from the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles after 2days without take part in any strenuous exercise or training. Five tensiomyographic parameters were analyzed: maximal displacement (D(m)), contraction time (T(c)), sustain time (T(s)), delay time (T(d)), and half-relaxation time (T(r)). A good to excellent intra-session reliability was found for all contractile parameters (ICC ranged from 0.78 to 0.95). No significant differences between players of any position were observed in absolute values of BF. However, significant differences were observed for T(c), T(r) and T(s) between the different playing positions on RF (P

Thank you to all of you. I will take a look to all these publications. In fact we would need TMG data stratified by sex, age and probably by physical activity for "normal" subjects in order to be able to compare results of TMG in OA patients. And it is clear that the procedure should be performed similarly to also be able to compare results.

Thank you again.