The feasibility of a video-based motion analysis system in measuring the segmental movements between upper and lower cervical spine

Abstract The evaluation of the range of motion (ROM) and static posture in the cervical spine are important in physical examination. Despite offering dynamic assessment without radiation, the video-based motion analysis system has not yet been applied to measure the cervical segmental movements. The purposes of this study were to develop a neck model to differentiate the movements and posture between upper and lower cervical spine, and to examine the reliability of measuring cervical motion with surface markers and the aid of videofluoroscopy. Sixteen healthy adult subjects (eight males and eight females) participated in this study. Ten surface markers were used to estimate the discrepancies in cervical vertebral angles compared with corresponding bony landmarks throughout the ROM. The average intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of the paired vertebral angles between surface markers and bony landmarks ranged from 0.844 to 0.975 and the mean absolute difference (MAD) averaged 2.96°. Our results indicate high consistency between surface markers and bony landmarks throughout the cervical movements. The mean upper (C0–C2) and lower (C2–C7) cervical joint angles in the neutral position were 18.59 ± 4.33° and 23.98 ± 6.15°, respectively. Furthermore, the reliability of the digitizing procedure within raters (ICC = 0.850–0.999; MAD = 0.58–2.42°) and between raters (ICC = 0.759–0.988; MAD = 0.59–2.66°) suggests that the neck motion analysis model is a feasible method for investigating static neck posture or dynamic motion between upper and lower cervical spine.