title: Relationship between cranio-cervical flexion range of motion and pressure change during the cranio-cervical flexion test.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to quantify the sagittal angular displacement of the head (cranio-cervical flexion) for the five incremental stages of the cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT). Range of cranio-cervical flexion during the CCFT was measured using a digital imaging method in 20 healthy volunteer subjects. The intra-and inter-rater reliability of the digital imaging technique for the assessment of this movement were also examined. The results of this study demonstrated a linear relationship between the incremental pressure targets of the CCFT and the percentages of full range cranio-cervical flexion range of motion (ROM) measured in the supine lying position of the test using a digital imaging technique. A mean of 22.9% full range cranio-cervical flexion was used to reach the first pressure target of the CCFT followed by linear increments up to 76.6% for the last stage of the test. An increasing amount of cranio-cervical flexion ROM was used to achieve the five successive stages of the CCFT reflecting an increasing contractile demand on the deep cervical flexor muscles. Excellent inter-rater (ICC=0.994) and intra-rater reliability (ICC=0.988-0.998) were demonstrated for the angular measurements using this digital imaging technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. d.falla@shrs.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Falla
authors.forename: Carolyn D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fagan
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Gwendolen A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Jull
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020393:Manipulation, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D018583:Pliability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012399:Rotation; D016683:Supine Position