[Cervical collars: a clinical and biomechanical study].
OBJECTIVE
Cervical collars have been used for years in the non-operative and postoperative management of cervical spine problems. They offer considerable differences in design, stability, bearing comfort and costs. In the background of controversies about the indication and in view of the limited number of scientific publications on the topic we have conceived this paper as a biomechanical and clinical investigation.


METHODS
During the biomechanical investigations a defined load was exerted on 10 cervical collars of 4 producers. The clinical part was the measurement of the limitation of movement due to the 10 cervical collars in 30 healthy subjects aged 20 to 60 years.


RESULTS
The biomechanical investigations showed differences of stiffness which were obvious during axial load, sideward and backward bending and less obvious in forward bending. The clinical study in 30 subjects indicated, on the other hand, only small differences in the limitation of movement. Softer cervical collars were slightly better accepted in the subjective judgment.


CONCLUSIONS
For the aimed limitation of movement, a minimum of stiffness is obviously necessary, which is common with every tested collar. Higher degrees of stiffness do not result in further limitation of movement but only in a reduction of bearing comfort.
Bruns
W
W
Orthopädische Klinik und Poliklinik am Universitätsklinikum Leipzig AöR.
Von Salis-Soglio
G
G
Plitz
W
W
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001915:Braces; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004548:Elasticity; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D016474:Weight-Bearing