Tissue motion pattern of ventral neck muscles investigated by tissue velocity ultrasonography imaging

We designed this experimental study to investigate tissue motions and thus infer the recruitment pattern of the ventral neck muscles [sternocleidomastoid (SCM), longus capitis (Lca), and longus colli (Lco)] at the C4-C5 level in healthy volunteers during isometric manual resistance of the head in flexion in a seated position. This exercise is used in the physiotherapeutic treatment of neck pain and is assumed to activate the deep ventral muscles, but the assumption has not been clearly evaluated. Neck flexors of 16 healthy volunteers (mean age 24 years, SD 3.7) were measured using ultrasonography with strain and strain rate (SR) tissue velocity imaging (TVI) during isometric contraction of flexor muscles. TVI involves using Doppler imaging to study tissue dynamics. All three muscles showed a deformation compared to rest. Except for the initial contraction phase, Lco exhibited a lower strain than Lca and SCM but was the only muscle with a significant change in SR between the phases. When the beginning of the contraction phase was analysed, Lco was the first to be deformed among most volunteers, followed by Lca and then SCM. The exercise investigated seems to be useful as a "stabilizing" exercise for Lco. Our suggestion is that in further research, Lco and Lca should be investigated as separate muscles. TVI could be used to study tissue motions and thus serve as an indicator of muscle patterning between the neck flexors, with the possibility of separating Lco and Lca.