Cervical range of motion and cephalic kinesthesis: ultrasonographic analysis by age and sex.

Abstract

Exploratory experimental design. To assess cervical range of motion (ROM) and ability to return the head to a neutral position in healthy subjects according to age and sex. Cervical ROM and ability to return the head to a neutral position have been studied, but no data on the influence of age and sex in this movement is available. We divided 232 healthy volunteers able to sit for 20 minutes into 6 age groups: 15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-65, and older than 65 years. Zebris 3-dimensional ultrasonography measured the active cervical ROM and ability to return the head to the neutral position. Bone landmarks and vertical position were defined for each subject. Recorded data were neutral position, lateral bending (right and left), flexion-extension, and axial rotation (right and left). We evaluated patients' ability, without external intervention, to return the head to a self-defined neutral position. ROM was affected by age as assessed by analysis of variance (F = 27.8 in the sagittal plane, F = 12.1 in the frontal plane, and F = 19.7 in the axial plane; all P < 0.0001), but neither sex nor age affected ability to return the head to a neutral position (F = 0.615, P = 0.688 on the left; F = 0.808, P = 0.545 on the right). Maximal ROM was observed for right axial rotation. We provide a database by age and sex for patient ability to return the head to the neutral position and for cervical ROM. This database could be used as a reference in clinical applications.