Strength and cross-sectional area of the dorsal neck muscles

The maximum isometric strength of cervical extensors was measured in a group of sixteen young healthy subjects. The cross-sectional area was obtained by computerized tomography. A significant positive correlation was found between muscle strength and cross-sectional area. The ratio of strength to cross-sectional area is 10.17N/cm2. This value is similar to that estimated on the quadriceps using similar methods in other studies. Numerous factors are suggested to explain the individual variability of the results even within a homogeneous group; among them, neck morphology is important.