Articles

Year 2015, Volume 44, Issue 3

Descriptive study of the relationship between cervical sidebending and upper cervical rotation in subjects with upper cervical hypomobility

Hidalgo-García C, Carrasco-Uribarren A, Cabanillas-Barea S, Malo-Urriés M, Fanlo-Mazas P, Jiménez-del Barrio S.

Abstract

Background: cervical movement requires the interaction of upper and lower cervical segments. With this study we aim to describe the range of cervical motion in patients with asymptomatic upper cervical hypomobility, and to learn the effect of such hypomobility on the rest of neck movements, especially on cervical sidebending and rotation. Material and method: a sample of 48 subjects with upper cervical rotational hypomobility measured with flexionrotation test (FRT) was recruited, active cervical movement in all cardinal planes and upper cervical movement in the sagittal plane were tested. Results: TFR on the most restricted side reached an average value of 27.83º (SD 4.92). Average cervical flexion was 50.81º (SD 11.08), average extension was 64.82º (SD 9.91), sidebending to the same side as hypomobility FRT was 35.54º (SD 5.78) and to the opposite side 35.02º (SD 6.25), cervical rotation in the same side as hypomobility FRT was 61.84º (SD 8.24), and to the opposite side 64.93º (SD 9.38). We did not find statistically significant correlations between upper cervical hypomobility in one direction and cervical sidebending in the opposite direction. Discusion: the sample has presented generalized characteristics of cervical hypomobility during active movement in all cardinal planes, reflecting the remarkable role of the upper cervical region to the cervical mobility. However, the pattern of cervical hypomobility in active sidebending and rotation was not directly correlated according to the biomechanical relationship between passive rotational hypomobility of the upper cervical spine with cervical sidebending.

Keywords: Range of motion, cervical vertebrae, cervical atlas.