P.E. Chibizov1, V.V. Kapravchuk2, V.S. Mazeina3, A.N. Briko4

1–4 Moscow Bauman State Technical University (Moscow, Russia)
1chibizov@bmstu.ru

In bionic control systems and muscle–machine interfaces, recorded signals depend not only on muscle activity, but also on the spatial location of muscles, their depth, mutual overlap, and displacement of soft tissues during movement. When surface recording methods, such as electromyography or electrical impedance measurements, are used, these anatomical factors are taken into account only to a limited extent. Therefore, methods that enable cross-sectional imaging of forearm muscle structures and assessment of their changes during hand movements are required for signal interpretation and selection of recording zones. This is especially important at the stages of pre-prosthetic preparation and tuning of bionic control systems, where anatomically justified selection of signal recording zones and assessment of the contribution of individual muscles to movement are required.

Aim – to develop an experimental setup for transverse ultrasound mapping of the forearm and to evaluate its applicability for visualizing muscle structures and quantitatively analyzing changes in their cross-sectional area during basic hand movements.

Reconstructed transverse ultrasound images of the forearm were obtained. The main superficial muscle structures, boundaries between muscle and subcutaneous fat tissue, and individual vascular structures were distinguishable in these images. The proposed approach was demonstrated to enable both visualization of muscle location and assessment of changes in muscle cross-sectional area during hand movements. The most consistent pattern of area changes between subjects was observed for the extensor carpi radialis longus: the area of this muscle increased during all studied movements, with the maximum increase during wrist adduction ranging from 32.1 to 44.0%.

The developed setup and data processing technique can be used to study the spatial organization of forearm muscles and their morphological changes during hand movements. The obtained data may be useful in rehabilitation, sports medicine, and muscle activity studies, as well as in pre-prosthetic preparation, selection of recording zones, and individual tuning of bionic control systems.

Chibizov P.E., Kapravchuk V.V., Mazeina V.S., Briko A.N. Experimental setup for transverse ultrasound mapping of forearm muscle structures // Biomedicine Radioengineering. 2026. V. 29. № 4. P. 5–17. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.18127/ j15604136-202604-01

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