Shin splint detection in anterior muscles of men leg: based on the electrical activity of the muscles and using principal components analysis

Introduction and Goal: Shin splint is a common pain among runners that occurs in the anterior lower leg. The aim of this study was to investigate the electrical activity of the leg muscles between healthy athletes and those with shin splint. Through physical education students, fifteen healthy male athletes (height: 176/20(±)5/97 cm and weight: 75/46 (±) 10/47 kg) and fifteen male with shin splint (height: 176/2(±)6/18 cm and weight: 67/66 (±) 9/18 kg) ranging in age from 18 to 25 years participated in the current study. The surface electromyograms (EMG) of the tibialis anterior, medial and lateral Gastrocnemius gastrocnemius muscles are recorded in both groups. Then twenty seven features (eighteen features in time domain and nine features in frequency domain) are extracted for each EMG signals. In this paper, principal component analysis (PCA) method is employed to detect differences between electromyogram of three mentioned muscles of healthy athletes and those with shin splint. Findings: It’s driven from the results that by using EMG signals and PCA methodology, we can define a threshold which help us defer healthy cases from unhealthy ones. Because of Results show there are significant differences in EMG of healthy and unhealthy volunteers and the PCA methodology is applicable and effective to detect differences in EMG signals of healthy athletes and those with shin splint.