Holistic Approach for Markerless Head-Neck Posture Assessment

Abstract

With the increasing digitization at work and in the private sphere, the use of digital devices also on the rise. Particularly when using smart devices, the user unconsciously adopts a posture that deviates from a low-strain posture. The problem here is that daily use, in some cases over long periods of time, can lead to symptoms of overuse. In this study, the postural assessment of the upper-body is performed, and functional relationships between different postures are analyzed. To that end, the Craniovertebral Angle (CVA), the Head-Tilt Angle (HTA), the Forward-Shoulder Angle (FSA), and the Adjusted Head-Position Angle (AHPA) were markerless determined in 78 subjects. The volunteers were asked to perform four different body postures with the following conditions: an upright sitting position, with maximum head protraction, looking at a smartphone, and with maximum flexion of the head. The result indicates a significant decrease in the calculated angles in the measured postures when compared to the neutral head position. It was found that the position adopted has a significant influence on all measured angles, CVA, HTA, FSA, and AHPA. Depending on the body posture class, the mean CVA values were 53.9° for upright sitting position, 7.9° for maximally flexed head posture, 28.6° for maximal forward head, and 26.5° for using smartphone posture.

User Walking Speed and Standing Posture Influence Head/Neck Flexion and Viewing Behavior While Using a Smartphone

“…NF typically encompasses the forward flexion of both the head and the cervical spine as a unified unit, while HF refers to head bending with the upper cervical spine acting as the axis of rotation. Indeed, the mechanism of forward head and neck flexion varies fundamentally with posture [9]. Research also demonstrated that two-handed texting engendered larger NF compared to one-handed browsing, and this divergence is primarily attributed to distinct visual demands among tasks [3,4,10].…”