A novel device for assessment and treatment of upper cervical spine: test–retest reliability study

Abstract

Introduction: Neck pain is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in primary care. Clinicians evaluate different variables, including movement and cervical strength, to determine the prognosis of patients. Usually, the tools employed for this purpose are expensive and bulky, or more than one is needed. This study aims to describe a novel device designed to assess the cervical spine and describe its test–retest reliability. Methods: The Spinetrack device was designed to measure the strength of deep cervical flexor muscles and the chin-in and chin-out movement of the upper cervical spine. A test–retest reliability study was developed. The flexion, extension and strength needed to move the Spinetrack device were registered. Two measurements were developed, with one week between each assessment. Results: Twenty healthy subjects were evaluated. The strength of the deep cervical flexor muscles in the first measurement was 21.18 ± 3.15 Newtons, the displacement movement during chin-in movement was 12.79 mm ± 3.46 and the displacement during chin-out movement was 35.99 mm ± 4.44. The test–retest reliability of strength was ICC 0.97 (95% CI (0.91–0.99)). Conclusion: The Spinetrack device has shown excellent test–retest reliability values for the measurement of the strength of the cervical flexor muscles and for the chin-in and chin-out movements.