Three-dimensional analysis of active head and cervical spine range of motion: effect of age in healthy male subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of age on active head-cervical range of motion in healthy men.


METHODS
Three-dimensional cervical motion ranges and patterns were measured in 70 men.


BACKGROUND
The effect of age on cervical range of motion is still discussed.


METHODS
Twenty adolescent (mean age 16 year), 30 young adult (mean age 23 year), and 20 mid-aged (mean age 37 year) men performed maximal head and cervical spine flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Movements were detected using a digital optoelectronic instrument. Maximum head-cervical spine and thoracic motions were separated.


RESULTS
Flexion and extension were larger in the adolescents and young adults (130-132 degrees ) than in the mid-aged men (117 degrees ). Thoracic movement increased as a function of age. Lateral bending was symmetric, associated with head-cervical rotation and extension, and larger in adolescents (85 degrees ) than in young (77 degrees ) and mid-aged adults (79 degrees ). Axial rotation was symmetric, associated with flexion-extension and lateral bending, and similar in the three age groups (respectively, 160 degrees, 155 degrees, 153 degrees ).


CONCLUSIONS
Active head-cervical range of motion reduced between 15 and 45 years of age in men. Relevance The present data can be used as a reference for cervical range in motion in men between 15 and 45 years.
Sforza
Chiarella
C
FARC, LAFAL, Dipartimento di Anatomia Umana, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia and Facoltà di Scienze Motorie, Università degli Studi & ISEF Lombardia, via Mangiagalli 31, Milano, Italy. farc@unimi.it
Grassi
GianPiero
G
Fragnito
Nicola
N
Turci
Michela
M
Ferrario
Virgilio
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular