Dynamic EMG of peroneus longus in hemiplegic children with equinovarus

Objective: In hemiplegic children the appearance of equinovarus is correlated with premature electromyography (EMG) activity of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) prior to initial contact. The goal was to analyze the onset of EMG activation in the GM and, more particularly, the peroneus longus (PL) in cases of equinovarus: is PL activity likewise premature?

Material and methods: As 15 hemiplegic children (age 5 years±1.5) with equinovarus walked, their PL and GM EMG activity was being recorded. The latter was normalized in terms of gait cycle percentage (0-100%) and detected through semi-automatic selection with activation threshold set at 20μV. A paired t-test compared activation onset of the PL versus the GM muscles.

Results: As regards the healthy limb, activity onset of the GM (+14.55%) and the PL (+19.2%) muscles occurred only during the ST. In cases of equinovarus, activation of the GM (-5.2%) and the PL (-6.1%) occurred during the SW and was premature. For each muscle, comparison between the healthy and the hemiplegic side was highly significant (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Premature PL and GM EMG activity preceding initial contact corresponds not to a disorder secondary to imbalance but rather, more probably, to motor command dysfunction. While the PL consequently contributes to equinus deformity, its possible role in varus genesis is less evident. EMG study needs to be completed by comparing PL and tibialis posterior strength while taking foot bone morphology into full account.