NCT02639104

Could Cervical Postural Changes Affect the Long Thoracic Nerve Electromyographic Findings?

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Baskent University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study investigates one of the mechanism factors of neck pain. Cervical lordotic angle alterations affect the tension of serratus anterior muscle. Expected result that the long thoracic nerve can be affected in this situation, and could be observed the functional changes of the nerve with serratus anterior electromyographic findings.

Detailed description

Different methods exist in order to evaluate muscle function. For the neck pain, the most commonly used method by researchers and clinicians are spot radiography and surface electromyography (sEMG). Radiographs can be used for the kyphotic angle or cervical lordotic angle measurements. Parameters that can be studied by EMG are amplitude, timing, conduction velocity, fatigability and characteristic frequencies/patterns. The long thoracic nerve innervates the serratus anterior muscle. This nerve arises from the anterior rami of three spinal nerve roots: the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (C5-C7) The nerve descends through the cervicoaxillary canal behind (posterior to) the brachial plexus and the axillary artery and vein, resting on the outer surface of the serratus anterior. The Serratus anterior electromyography, the needle can be inserted into the muscle superficially to the fourth to sixth rib in the medial or posterior axillary line. The usual nerve latency time is between 2.6-4 ms. In this study, the results of serratus anterior muscle EMG activity and postural cervical angle alterations (lateral radiography) in patients with chronic mechanical neck pain will be compared with healthy volunteers without neck pain.

Conditions

• Cervicalgia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
RADIATION	Radiography	Obtaining patients lateral spot cervical spine radiography and will measure; 1. The segmental angle will be measured from C2-C7 inferior endplates on the lateral radiography 2. If there is a segmental kyphosis (for example kyphotic angle in C4-5 level), the segmental cobb angle will be measured in the level of the main kyphosis 3. The segmental cobb angle will be measured between C2-C4 inferior endplates and C4-C7 inferior endplates
OTHER	Electromyography	Serratus anterior needle electromyography: The needle can be inserted into the muscle superficially to the fourth to sixth rib in the medial or posterior axillary line. The usual nerve latency time is between 2.6-4 ms.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-12-01
• Primary completion: 2016-03-01
• Completion: 2016-04-01
• First posted: 2015-12-24
• Last updated: 2015-12-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)