Intratester and intertester reliability of neck isometric dynamometry

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Musculoskeletal research
• Physical therapy

Background:

• Assessing neck muscle strength is crucial for diagnosing and managing various conditions.
• Reproducibility of measurement is essential for reliable clinical assessment and research.
• Standardized protocols are needed for accurate evaluation of cervical musculature strength.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reproducibility of measurements for maximum voluntary isometric contractions of cervical muscles.
• To establish a reliable protocol for assessing neck muscle strength in different movements and positions.
• To determine the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability of neck muscle strength measurements.

Main Methods:

• Repeated test-retest measurements were conducted in a physiotherapy department.
• Thirty-three healthy subjects participated in the intraexaminer reliability study, and 10 in the interexaminer study.
• Maximum isometric strength was measured in sitting and standing positions for flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation using an isomyometer device.

Main Results:

• The standing position demonstrated superior reproducibility compared to the sitting position.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were high, indicating excellent reliability (ICC1,3 > .84, ICC(2,1) from .88 to .94).
• Low standard error of measurement and smallest detectable difference values suggest minimal measurement error.

Conclusions:

• A reliable protocol for measuring neck strength has been successfully developed.
• Utilizing a standing position and incorporating a practice session enhances measurement reliability.
• The developed protocol provides a dependable method for assessing cervical muscle strength.