INTRODUCTION:
Sensory signals activated by movements of the hip are of major
importance in the control of gait. As the limb approaches its most
posterior position, sensory signals from the muscles and joint capsule
promote the switch from extensor to flexor activity. The deep muscles
that produce hip flexion or extension also promote hip internal or
external rotation and may influence transverse plane hip stability.
However, diminutive information is available on the activation patterns
of the deep hip muscles during walking. This omission in the literature
has been primarily due to the inaccessibility of the muscles to surface
electrodes and the proximity of the femoral vessels for indwelling
techniques. The purpose of this paper was to investigate deep hip
muscle activation during walking to describe their role during sagittal
and transverse plane motions