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The envelope of motion of the cervical spine and its influence on the maximum torque generating capability of the neck muscles
Journal article   Peer reviewed

The envelope of motion of the cervical spine and its influence on the maximum torque generating capability of the neck muscles

Sorin Siegler, Paolo Caravaggi, James Tangorra, Mary Milone, Ramya Namani and Paul A. Marchetto
Journal of biomechanics, v 48(13), pp 3650-3655
15 Oct 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.08.014
PMID: 26338098
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Head Isometric Maximum Voluntary Contraction Neck Range of motion Risk of injury Torque
The posture of the head and neck is critical for predicting and assessing the risk of injury during high accelerations, such as those arising during motor accidents or in collision sports. Current knowledge suggests that the head's range-of-motion (ROM) and the torque-generating capability of neck muscles are both dependent and affected by head posture. A deeper understanding of the relationship between head posture, ROM and maximum torque-generating capability of neck muscles may help assess the risk of injury and develop means to reduce such risks. The aim of this study was to use a previously-validated device, known as Neck Flexibility Tester, to quantify the effects of head's posture on the available ROM and torque-generating capability of neck muscles. Ten young asymptomatic volunteers were enrolled in the study. The tri-axial orientation of the subjects' head was controlled via the Neck Flexibility Tester device. The head ROM was measured for each flexed, extended, axially rotated, and laterally bent head's orientation and compared to that in unconstrained neutral posture. Similarly, the torque applied about the three anatomical axes during Isometric Maximum Voluntary Contraction (IMVC) of the neck muscles was measured in six head's postures and compared to that in fully-constrained neutral posture. The further from neutral the neck posture was the larger the decrease in ROM and IMVC. Head extension and combined two-plane rotations postures, such as extension with lateral bending, produced the largest decreases in ROM and IMVC, thus suggesting that these postures pose the highest potential risk for injury.

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13 Record Views
6 citations in Web of Science
8 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biophysics
Engineering, Biomedical
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