Effectiveness of Chin Tuck on Laryngeal Penetration: Quantitative Assessment

The effectiveness of the chin tuck maneuver is still controversial, despite being widely used in clinical practice. The chin tuck maneuver has been shown to be able to reduce or eliminate aspiration in a group of patients with a number of favorable conditions, but its effectiveness in preventing or managing penetration remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate whether the chin tuck maneuver is effective in reducing penetration. Images from a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) taken from 76 patients with penetration were collected and reviewed retrospectively. The severity of penetration was assessed by the penetration ratio (ratio of the penetration depth to the length of the epiglottis) measured and calculated from the images in which the deepest penetration was observed. The penetration ratio was significantly decreased in the chin tuck posture compared with the ratio in the neutral position (p = 0.001). Significant reducing effect was observed in 26 (34.2%) out of 76 patients. When comparing other parameters of VFSS, residues in the vallecular and pyriformis sinuses were less severe in the effective group. Chin tuck significantly decreased residues in both effective and ineffective group. The results demonstrate that the chin tuck maneuver can reduce penetration, but its effectiveness is limited.