Following a tolerance-limited prolonged walking task, men with unilateral transtibial amputation showed distinct, phase-specific muscle activation changes that appear to prioritize co-activation, whereas able-bodied controls showed phase-specific redistribution and reduced co-contraction.
Prolonged walking produced divergent neuromuscular responses between men with unilateral transtibial amputation (TTA) and able-bodied controls.
In the TTA intact limb, root mean square (RMS) of lateral gastrocnemius activation increased during the second double support phase post-task.
In the TTA residual limb, rectus femoris RMS increased during swing post-task.
The TTA intact limb showed higher peak EMG for the biceps femoris and tibialis anterior during single support.
Integrated EMG of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris was significantly elevated in the TTA residual limb during initial weight acceptance.
The rectus femoris-biceps femoris co-contraction index increased in the TTA residual limb during swing, whereas controls showed pronounced reductions.
The authors conclude that people with TTA adopt co-activation-prioritizing muscle patterns after the task, which may be hypothesized to enhance joint stability but may impose high cumulative activation demands.
This small study looked at how leg muscles behave after prolonged walking in ten men with a below-knee amputation on one leg and ten able-bodied men. People with amputation walked for 10-20 minutes (as long as they could tolerate) and controls walked for 20 minutes. Muscle activity was measured with sensors on the skin before and after the walk. After walking, the two groups responded differently. In the amputee group, the intact leg's calf muscle and some thigh and shin muscles were more active at certain points of the step, and the residual leg's thigh muscles worked harder, including a greater tendency for opposing thigh muscles to contract together during the swing phase. Controls instead shifted activity between phases and reduced co-contraction in that phase. This research suggests that people with a below-knee amputation may rely on muscles contracting together to keep the joints stable when fatigued, which could be demanding over time. The authors suggest rehabilitation might focus on building endurance in the thigh muscles and reducing reliance on high-effort co-contraction. The sample was small and only included men, so the findings should be viewed as preliminary.
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Upload Your LabsSong Z, Fu X, Wu R, Jiang M, Xu Z, Tang Y, et al.. (2026). Changes in gait-related muscle activation following a tolerance-limited prolonged walking task in men with unilateral transtibial amputation.. Experimental brain research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-026-07425-4