Reliability of a novel neck external loading dynamometer

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Neuromuscular Physiology

Background:

• Head and neck injuries are a significant concern in rugby.
• Assessing neck muscle response to perturbations is vital for injury prevention.
• A validated device for measuring neck extensor response to flexion is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the reliability of the Cervistab device.
• To assess the neck extensor muscle response to a flexion perturbation.
• To evaluate the device's utility in understanding neck stability and injury prevention.

Main Methods:

• The Cervistab electro-pneumatic device was used to create flexion push-loading events.
• Twelve healthy volunteers participated in a test-retest protocol over 7 days.
• Measurements included muscle mechanical latency and rates of force development under 20% and 50% preloading.

Main Results:

• Cervistab demonstrated good reliability for muscle mechanical latency (ICC 0.81-0.88, CV 3.5%).
• Non-reflex and reflex rates of force development also showed good reliability (ICC 0.78-0.89).
• Bland and Altman analysis indicated no significant bias, supporting measurement consistency.

Conclusions:

• The Cervistab device provides reliable measurements of neck extensor muscle responses.
• This device can enhance understanding of neuromechanical factors in neck stability.
• Cervistab may aid in preventing head/neck injuries and guiding return-to-play decisions in rugby.