Correlation between neck slope angle and deep cervical flexor muscle thickness in healthy participants

The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between neck slope angle and deep cervical flexor muscle thickness in healthy subjects. Forty-two healthy male (20.7 ± 2.6 years old) participated in this study. Neck slope angle was measured in a relaxed sitting posture. The deep cervical flexor muscle thickness was measured in a relaxed supine posture. The correlations between neck slope angle and normalized muscle thickness relative to body mass index were determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. There was a moderate positive correlation between neck slope angle and normalized muscle thickness (r = 0.414, P = 0.006). The result demonstrated that participants with lower neck slope angles had smaller muscle thicknesses of the deep cervical flexor muscles. It appears that the deep cervical flexor muscle thickness might be associated with neck slope angle in a relaxed sitting posture.