Background: There is sparse literature that provides evidence of cervical and shoulder
postural alignment of 15 to 17-year-old adolescents and that analyzes sex
differences. Objectives:To characterize the postural alignment of the head and shoulder in the sagittal
plane of 15 to 17-year-old Portuguese adolescents in natural erect standing and
explore the relationships between three postural angles and presence of neck and
shoulder pain. Method:This cross-sectional study was conducted in two secondary schools in Portugal. 275
adolescent students (153 females and 122 males) aged 15 to 17 were evaluated.
Sagittal head, cervical, and shoulder angles were measured with photogrammetry and
PAS software. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Assessment (ASES)
was used to assess shoulder pain, whereas neck pain was self-reported with a
single question. Results:Mean values of sagittal head, cervical, and shoulder angles were 17.2±5.7,
47.4±5.2, and 51.4±8.5º, respectively. 68% of the participants revealed
protraction of the head, whereas 58% of them had protraction of the shoulder. The
boys showed a significantly higher mean cervical angle, and adolescents with neck
pain revealed lower mean cervical angle than adolescents without neck pain. 53% of
the girls self-reported regular neck pain, contrasting with 19% of the boys. Conclusions: This data shows that forward head and protracted shoulder are common postural
disorders in adolescents, especially in girls. Neck pain is prevalent in
adolescents, especially girls, and it is associated with forward head posture.
Peripheral nerves are exposed to mechanical stress during movement. However the in vivo mechanical properties of nerves remain largely unexplored. The primary aim of this study was to characterize the effect of passive dorsiflexion on sciatic nerve shear wave velocity (an index of stiffness) when the knee was in 90° flexion (knee 90°) or extended (knee 180°). The secondary aim was to determine the effect of five repeated dorsiflexions on the nerve shear wave velocity. Nine healthy participants were tested. The repeatability of sciatic nerve shear wave velocity was good for both knee 90° and knee 180° (ICCs ≥ 0.92, CVs ≤ 8.1%). The shear wave velocity of the sciatic nerve significantly increased (p<0.0001) during dorsiflexion when the knee was extended (knee 180°), but no changes were observed when the knee was flexed (90°). The shear wave velocity-angle relationship displayed a hysteresis for knee 180°. Although there was a tendency for the nerve shear wave velocity to decrease throughout the repetition of the five ankle dorsiflexions, the level of significance was not reached (p=0.055). These results demonstrate that the sciatic nerve stiffness can be non-invasively assessed during passive movements. In addition, the results highlight the importance of considering both the knee and the ankle position for clinical and biomechanical assessment of the sciatic nerve. This non-invasive technique offers new perspectives to provide new insights into nerve mechanics in both healthy and clinical populations (e.g., specific peripheral neuropathies).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.