The development of instrumentation for the dynamic measurement of changing head posture

Cranial posture and its possible relationship to the morphology of the skull has been studied in some detail, as have the relationships between cranial posture and such functions as respiration and jaw movements. To date, cranial posture has been assessed mainly with techniques that give static interpretations of the angular relationships between intracranial and extracranial reference lines. The present project was undertaken to develop a system of instruments capable of the continuous measurement and recording of cranial posture for extended periods of time. A number of aspects of this system were tested. The results indicate that the experimental array of instruments measures head posture accurately over a defined range of cranial movement. This new technique should make it possible to measure cranial posture in a more dynamic and physiologic manner.