Mentor
Laura Frey Law
Participation year
2013
Project title

Head and Neck Strength Assessment

Abstract

The objective of this study is to test neck strength by analyzing the maximum torque that can be produced from the neck. The marines are experiencing neck pain/injury which could possibly be due to the helmets and night vision attachment design. The goal of this study was to create a normative data set of neck muscle strength. Healthy individuals between the ages of 18-45 were collected through the University of Iowa and the surrounding area population. Strength test were performed using a Biodex System 3.0 Isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex Medical Systems, New York). Subjects performed two tasks, isometric and isokinetic, in three directions, flexion and extension, rotation, and sidebending and their maximum voluntary contraction were recorded. X males and X females were tested. For neck flexion and extension 25 peak torque values were found: 5 isometric quantities and 5 angle- specific values for the 4 isokinetic velocities. Neck rotation found 25 peak torque values: 5 isometric quantities and 5 angle-specific values for the 4 isokinetic values. For neck sidebending 25 peak torques were found: 5 isometric quantities and 5 angle-specific values for the 4 isokinetic values. This study has provided data to create a three- dimensional strength surface. The three-dimensional strength surface can be used as a tool for the marines to create helmets and night vision attachments that follow the normative data set of neck muscle strength. In the future, this study will be expanded and there will be gender specific three-dimensional curves which will continue to expand until a minimum of 25 males and 25 females have been collected.

Desmond Adenyi
Education
Earlham College