This study aimed to investigate lower-limb muscle activities in gait phases and co-contraction of one gait cycle in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). This study enrolled 17 LDH patients and 17 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals. Bilateral muscle activities of the rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris long head (BL), tibialis anterior (TA), and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) during walking were recorded. The gait cycle was divided into four phases by the heel strike and top off according to the kinematics tracks. Root mean square (RMS), mean frequency (MF), and co-contraction of surface electromyography signals were calculated. The LDH patients showed enhanced BL RMS during the single support phase (SS), second double support phase, and swing phase (SW) as well as decreased MF of RF during SS and of TA and LG during SW (p < 0.05). The co-contraction of the TA-LG was increased in LDH patients than in the control group (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between TA-LG co-contraction (affected side, r = 0.557, p = 0.020; contralateral side, r = 0.627, p = 0.007) and the Oswestry disability index scores in LDH patients. LDH patients have increased BL firing rate and insufficient motor unit recruitment in specific phases in the lower limbs during walking. Dysfunction in LDH patients was associated with immoderate intermuscular co-contraction of the TA-LG during walking.

这项研究旨在调查腰椎间盘突出症（LDH）患者步态下肢肌肉活动和一个步态周期的共收缩。这项研究招募了17名LDH患者和17名性别和年龄匹配的健康个体。记录步行过程中股直肌（RF），股二头肌长头（BL），胫骨前（TA）和腓肠肌（LG）的双边肌肉活动。根据运动学轨迹，通过脚跟打击和步态结束将步态周期分为四个阶段。计算均方根（RMS），平均频率（MF）和表面肌电信号的共收缩。LDH患者在单支撑期（SS），第二双支撑期和摆动期（SW）期间显示出更高的BL RMS，在SS期间以及在SW期间TA和LG的RF MF降低（p  ＜0.05）。LDH患者的TA-LG共收缩率高于对照组（p  <0.05）。 在LDH患者中，TA-LG共收缩（患侧，r  = 0.557，p  = 0.020；对侧，r  = 0.627，p = 0.007）与Oswestry残疾指数得分之间存在正相关。LDH患者在步行过程中下肢特定阶段的BL放电率增加且运动单元募集不足。LDH患者的功能障碍与步行过程中TA-LG的肌肉间过度收缩有关。