Pediatric Cervical Spine Strength and Stiffness in the Sagittal Plane 2019-22-0019

In the pediatric safety field the use of computer simulations to assess passenger kinematics is becoming more prevalent. However, there is a need for volunteer data to serve as a baseline for biomechanical responses to better appraise the biofidelity of these simulations. The objective of this study is to provide volunteer data of cervical spine strength and stiffness in 5-7 year old children. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to quantify strength and stiffness measurements. Twenty-three subjects with a mean age 5.9±0.7 participated. Children were stronger at mid-range of motion in both flexion and extension, and strongest in extension. Stiffness calculations for initial motions were higher for both flexion (0.277 Nm/°) and extension (0.227 Nm/°) than secondary motions (0.148 Nm/° and 0.095 Nm/°, respectively). This study offers a unique perspective to pediatric volunteers’ c-spine strength and stiffness, and can provide a better understanding of the head-neck kinematics of this young population.