Scapula; IncreasedNCT06261749
Analysis of Scapular Musculature Activation During Targeted Abdominal Contraction with Scapular Stabilization Exercises
An observational study of Scapula; Increased, run by Hacettepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Muscle activation of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles will be measured during prone scapular retraction exercises. Then the same exercises will be performed with abdominal contraction using a stabilizer and muscle activity of the same muscles will be measured. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Scapula; Increased
- What is being tested?
- Voluntary Abdominal Contractions and Exercise
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 15 Feb 2024to 1 Aug 2024
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 30 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Study population: The study will include 30 healthy participants regardless of gender.
Who may be able to join
- Healthy individuals between the ages of 18-30
- Physical activity level of at least 5 on the Tegner activity scale.
Who cannot join
- Having pathology of the shoulder and spine
- History of previous upper extremity surgery
- Body mass index greater than 24.9
- Experience with core stability training.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Examination of Scapulothoracic Muscle Activation During Scapular Stabilizer Strengthening Exercises in the Prone Position with Voluntary Abdominal Contracture
Muscle activation of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles will be measured during prone scapular retraction exercises. Then the same exercises will be performed with abdominal contraction using a stabilizer and muscle activity of the same muscles will be measured. A comparison will be made between the two conditions.
Read the detailed description
The scapula plays an important role in providing both movement and stability of the shoulder joint. Correct scapular position and movement is achieved through the synchronized firing of muscles to provide optimal length-tension relationships between the scapular stabilizers. During arm elevation, coordinated muscle activation is seen between the serratus anterior (SA) and trapezius to provide controlled scapular upward rotation. Therefore, analyzing the muscle activation rates of these synergistic pairs (upper trapezius/serratus anterior [UT/SA] or upper trapezius/lower trapezius [UT/LT]) helps us understand scapular muscle function and prescribe exercises. Rehabilitation has focused on LT and SA muscle strengthening exercises to treat shoulder dysfunction . From a mechanical point of view, trunk and pelvis stability is required to transmit force and energy to the upper extremities during function or sports activities.
An altered spinal alignment directly affects the movement of the shoulder and scapular muscles, altering scapular position and stability. Coordinated activity of the shoulder and scapular muscles is essential to increase dynamic stability during shoulder movement; therefore, altered muscle activity can produce inappropriate glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joint movement rhythm and cause various shoulder pathologies examined the effect on the surface electromyographic activity of the scapulothoracic (UT, SA and LT) and middle deltoid muscles during isometric contraction in 45° shoulder abduction in the standing scapular plane supported by a pelvic and thoracic belt and reported that it did not significantly increase SA, LT activation, but increased middle deltoid activation and decreased UT electromyography activity observed an increase in the activity of the serratus anterior muscle during crossed shoulder flexion and scaption exercises with voluntary abdominal muscle contraction.
The resistance provided by isotonic exercise depends on gravity and the resistance pattern varies according to changes in the patient's body position (standing, prone, supine). In the prone position, it is often preferred because the scapular muscles can be strengthened in isolation by eliminating the lower extremity and core muscles. In a study in which trapezius muscle activation was examined by performing scapula retraction exercises in the prone position, a higher increase in trapezius muscle activation was reported compared to the standing study . It has been shown that there is a significantly greater increase in muscle activation in all 3 parts of the trapezius muscle in the prone position compared to the side lying and standing positions. It has been reported that this may be due to the fact that exercises performed prone against gravity may give more load to the trapezius muscle than the standing position. Although lower extremity movements are limited in the prone position compared to the standing position, anterior pelvic tilt formation as a result of excessive lumbar spine movements during exercises performed in this position should not be overlooked.
Therefore, our aim in this study was to investigate scapulothoracic muscle activations during open kinetic chain strengthening exercises with scapular stabilizers by providing lumbopelvic stability with voluntary abdominal contraction in the prone position.
- Conditions
- Scapula; Increased
- Being tested
- Voluntary Abdominal Contractions, Exercise
- Keywords
- abdominal contractions, muscle activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Voluntary Abdominal ContractionsOther
Abdominal contraction will be taught before exercise. They will be instructed to tighten their abdomen as if they were wearing tight pants and not to hold their breath. The visual biofeedback unit will be placed between the therapy table and the participant's abdominal area and will be used to monitor the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The visual biofeedback inelastic bag will be inflated to 70 mmHg and the participant will be instructed to draw the abdomen in and maintain the position. The participant will be asked to maintain a pressure of 60 mmHg during scapular retraction with visual feedback from an analog pressure gauge. Pressure changes of ± 5 mmHg due to breathing will be allowed. During exercise, the patient will be asked to perform the exercises while maintaining the pressure on the visual biofeedback.
ExerciseOther
Exercises;
- Scapular retraction with arms next to the trunk
- Scapular retraction with arms abducted at 45 degrees,
- Scapular retraction with arms 90 degrees abducted,
- Scapular retraction exercises with arms 120 degrees abducted The exercises will be performed with the shoulder head off the bed. The exercises will be repeated 3 times with 5 seconds rest between repetitions. To reduce the effect of fatigue, 2 minutes rest will be given between exercises. Each exercise will be performed with 3 seconds of concentric, 3 seconds of isometric and 3 seconds of eccentric contraction and muscle activation of UT-LT and SA muscles will be measured during these phases.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy individuals | Inclusion criteria:
18-30 age Physical activity level should be at least 5 according to Tegner activity scale Receives: Other: Voluntary Abdominal Contractions; Other: Exercise |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Electromyography
An 8-channel surface electromyography system will be used to measure muscle activation levels. A synchronized video recording will be taken.
Electrode placement and inter-electrode distance will follow the recommendations of "Surface ElectroMyography for Non-Invasive Assesment of Muscles" (SENIAM), and bipolar silver/silver chloride surface electrodes will be placed with an inter-electrode distance of 2 cm. For UT, the electrodes will be placed between the C7 spinal vertebra and the posterior acromion; for AT, the electrodes will be placed at the 2/3 point of the line between the trigonum spinae and the T8 spinal vertebra; for SA, the electrodes will be placed horizontally just below the axillary region, at the level of the lower end of the scapula and medial to the latissimus dorsi.
Measured: initial assesment (baseline)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Feb 2024
- Study start15 Feb 2024
- Primary completion1 Aug 2024
- Study completion1 Aug 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Scapula; IncreasedStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hacettepe UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hacettepe University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Irem Duzgun, Hacettepe University
- Investigators
- Kübra Çaylan Gürses, Principal investigator, Hacettepe Universityİrem Düzgün, Study director, Hacettepe UniversityÖzgün Uysal, Principal investigator, Hacettepe University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06261749
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EmgSCAPULA
- Status last verified
- Feb 2024
- First submitted
- 19 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 13 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Examination of Scapulothoracic Muscle Activation During Scapular Stabilizer Strengthening Exercises in the Prone Position with Voluntary Abdominal Contracture
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06261749
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EmgSCAPULA
- Conditions
- Scapula; Increased
- Keywords
- abdominal contractions, muscle activity
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hacettepe UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Muscle activation of the upper trapezius, lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles will be measured during prone scapular retraction exercises. Then the same exercises will be performed with abdominal contraction using a stabilizer and muscle activity of the same muscles will be measured. A comparison will be made between the two conditions.
Detailed description
The scapula plays an important role in providing both movement and stability of the shoulder joint. Correct scapular position and movement is achieved through the synchronized firing of muscles to provide optimal length-tension relationships between the scapular stabilizers. During arm elevation, coordinated muscle activation is seen between the serratus anterior (SA) and trapezius to provide controlled scapular upward rotation. Therefore, analyzing the muscle activation rates of these synergistic pairs (upper trapezius/serratus anterior [UT/SA] or upper trapezius/lower trapezius [UT/LT]) helps us understand scapular muscle function and prescribe exercises. Rehabilitation has focused on LT and SA muscle strengthening exercises to treat shoulder dysfunction . From a mechanical point of view, trunk and pelvis stability is required to transmit force and energy to the upper extremities during function or sports activities.
An altered spinal alignment directly affects the movement of the shoulder and scapular muscles, altering scapular position and stability. Coordinated activity of the shoulder and scapular muscles is essential to increase dynamic stability during shoulder movement; therefore, altered muscle activity can produce inappropriate glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joint movement rhythm and cause various shoulder pathologies examined the effect on the surface electromyographic activity of the scapulothoracic (UT, SA and LT) and middle deltoid muscles during isometric contraction in 45° shoulder abduction in the standing scapular plane supported by a pelvic and thoracic belt and reported that it did not significantly increase SA, LT activation, but increased middle deltoid activation and decreased UT electromyography activity observed an increase in the activity of the serratus anterior muscle during crossed shoulder flexion and scaption exercises with voluntary abdominal muscle contraction.
The resistance provided by isotonic exercise depends on gravity and the resistance pattern varies according to changes in the patient's body position (standing, prone, supine). In the prone position, it is often preferred because the scapular muscles can be strengthened in isolation by eliminating the lower extremity and core muscles. In a study in which trapezius muscle activation was examined by performing scapula retraction exercises in the prone position, a higher increase in trapezius muscle activation was reported compared to the standing study . It has been shown that there is a significantly greater increase in muscle activation in all 3 parts of the trapezius muscle in the prone position compared to the side lying and standing positions. It has been reported that this may be due to the fact that exercises performed prone against gravity may give more load to the trapezius muscle than the standing position. Although lower extremity movements are limited in the prone position compared to the standing position, anterior pelvic tilt formation as a result of excessive lumbar spine movements during exercises performed in this position should not be overlooked.
Therefore, our aim in this study was to investigate scapulothoracic muscle activations during open kinetic chain strengthening exercises with scapular stabilizers by providing lumbopelvic stability with voluntary abdominal contraction in the prone position.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy individuals | – | Other: Voluntary Abdominal Contractions, Other: ExerciseInclusion criteria: 18-30 age Physical activity level should be at least 5 according to Tegner activity scale |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- The study will include 30 healthy participants regardless of gender.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Healthy individuals between the ages of 18-30
- Physical activity level of at least 5 on the Tegner activity scale.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Having pathology of the shoulder and spine
- History of previous upper extremity surgery
- Body mass index greater than 24.9
- Experience with core stability training.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Voluntary Abdominal ContractionsAbdominal contraction will be taught before exercise. They will be instructed to tighten their abdomen as if they were wearing tight pants and not to hold their breath. The visual biofeedback unit will be placed between the therapy table and the participant's abdominal area and will be used to monitor the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The visual biofeedback inelastic bag will be inflated to 70 mmHg and the participant will be instructed to draw the abdomen in and maintain the position. The participant will be asked to maintain a pressure of 60 mmHg during scapular retraction with visual feedback from an analog pressure gauge. Pressure changes of ± 5 mmHg due to breathing will be allowed. During exercise, the patient will be asked to perform the exercises while maintaining the pressure on the visual biofeedback. | Other | Healthy individuals |
| ExerciseExercises; 1. Scapular retraction with arms next to the trunk 2. Scapular retraction with arms abducted at 45 degrees, 3. Scapular retraction with arms 90 degrees abducted, 4. Scapular retraction exercises with arms 120 degrees abducted The exercises will be performed with the shoulder head off the bed. The exercises will be repeated 3 times with 5 seconds rest between repetitions. To reduce the effect of fatigue, 2 minutes rest will be given between exercises. Each exercise will be performed with 3 seconds of concentric, 3 seconds of isometric and 3 seconds of eccentric contraction and muscle activation of UT-LT and SA muscles will be measured during these phases. | Other | Healthy individuals |
Primary outcome
Electromyography
Time frame: initial assesment (baseline)
An 8-channel surface electromyography system will be used to measure muscle activation levels. A synchronized video recording will be taken. Electrode placement and inter-electrode distance will follow the recommendations of "Surface ElectroMyography for Non-Invasive Assesment of Muscles" (SENIAM), and bipolar silver/silver chloride surface electrodes will be placed with an inter-electrode distance of 2 cm. For UT, the electrodes will be placed between the C7 spinal vertebra and the posterior acromion; for AT, the electrodes will be placed at the 2/3 point of the line between the trigonum spinae and the T8 spinal vertebra; for SA, the electrodes will be placed horizontally just below the axillary region, at the level of the lower end of the scapula and medial to the latissimus dorsi.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Mar 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kübra Çaylan Gürses principal investigator
Hacettepe University
İrem Düzgün study director
Hacettepe University
Özgün Uysal principal investigator
Hacettepe University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Scapula; Increased, run by Hacettepe University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Mar 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Electromyography (time frame: initial assesment (baseline)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Mar 2025.