| Introduction: Although the standard instrument for measuring cervical range of motion is the dual inclinometer, inclinometric technologies are limited to measuring flexion/extension and lateral bending in the upright position. Hence, axial rotation must be determined supine. The effect of changing the patient's position on the assessment procedure has not been investigated. Objective: To determine the differences in upright and supine active and passive cervical axial rotation measurements in asymptomatic subjects. Methods: We used a computerized electrogoniometer to measure cervical range of motion of subjects in the upright position and compared those measurements with ones obtained from patients in the supine position. Results: On the average, supine active total rotation measurements are 18.8º to 40.3º greater than upright measurements, and passive motion is 50.3º greater for supine measurements. Conclusions: Establishing valid and reliable standards for axial rotation measurements is essential, both in terms of measurement procedures and normative values. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher.
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