Muscle co-contraction generates joint stiffness to improve stability and accuracy during limb movement but at the expense of higher energetic cost. However, quantification of joint stiffness is difficult using either experimental or computational means. In contrast, quantification of muscle co-contraction using an EMG-based Co-Contraction Index (CCI) is easier and may offer an alternative for estimating joint stiffness. This study investigated the feasibility of using two common CCI’s to approximate lower limb joint stiffness trends during gait.

Please cite the following paper:
G. Li, M.S. Shourijeh, D. Ao, C. Patten, B.J. Fregly, How Well Do Commonly Used Co-Contraction Indices Approximate Lower Limb Joint Stiffness Trends during Gait?, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2020, DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.588908