Division of Health, Engineering, Computing and Science, Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Adams Centre for High Performance, Tauranga 3116, New Zealand.
New Zealand Rugby, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
Sensors (Basel). 2022 Apr 8;22(8):2872. doi: 10.3390/s22082872.
Concussion is the most common injury in professional Rugby Union (RU) players, with increasing incidence and severity each year. Strengthening the neck is an intervention used to decrease concussion incidence and severity, which can only be proven effective if strength neck measures are reliable. We conducted a repeated-measures reliability study with 23 male RU players. Neck strength was assessed seated in a ‘make’ test fashion in flexion, extension, and bilateral-side flexion. Flexion-to-extension and left-to-right side ratios were also computed. Three testing sessions were undertaken over three consecutive weeks. Intrasession and intersession reliabilities were assessed using typical errors, coefficient of variations (CV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Intrasession reliability demonstrated good-to-excellent relative (ICC > 0.75) and good absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability in all directions (ICC = 0.86−0.95, CV = 6.4−8.8%), whereas intersession reliability showed fair relative (ICC: 0.40 to 0.75) and acceptable absolute (CV ≤ 20%) reliability for mean and maximal values (ICC = 0.51−0.69, CV = 14.5−19.8%). Intrasession reliability for flexion-to-extension ratio was good (relative, ICC = 0.86) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) and was fair (relative, ICC = 0.75) and acceptable (absolute, CV = 11.5%) for left-to-right ratio. Intersession ratios from mean and maximal values were fair (relative, ICC = 0.52−0.55) but not always acceptable (absolute, CV = 16.8−24%). Assessing isometric neck strength with a head harness and a cable with a load cell device seated in semi-professional RU players is feasible and demonstrates good-to-excellent intrasession and fair intersession reliability. We provide data from RU players to inform practice and assist standardisation of testing methods.
脑震荡是职业橄榄球联盟（RU）球员最常见的损伤，每年的发病率和严重程度都在增加。增强颈部力量是一种降低脑震荡发病率和严重程度的干预措施，如果颈部力量测量可靠，这种干预措施才可能有效。我们对 23 名男性 RU 球员进行了一项重复测量可靠性研究。采用头带和带有称重传感器的电缆在坐位姿势下进行颈屈伸、侧屈和双侧侧屈测试，计算屈伸比和左右侧比值。在连续三周内进行了三次测试。使用典型误差、变异系数（CV）和组内相关系数（ICC）评估组内和组间可靠性。在所有方向上，组内可靠性均表现出较好到极好的相对可靠性（ICC＞0.75）和较好的绝对可靠性（CV≤20%）（ICC=0.86-0.95，CV=6.4-8.8%），而组间可靠性显示出平均和最大屈伸比值的中等相对可靠性（ICC：0.40-0.75）和可接受的绝对可靠性（CV≤20%）（ICC=0.51-0.69，CV=14.5-19.8%）。屈伸比值的组内可靠性较好（相对，ICC=0.86）和可接受（绝对，CV=11.5%），左右比值的组内可靠性为中等（相对，ICC=0.75）和可接受（绝对，CV=11.5%）。平均和最大屈伸比值的组间比值为中等（相对，ICC=0.52-0.55），但并非始终可接受（绝对，CV=16.8-24%）。使用头带和带有称重传感器的电缆在半职业 RU 球员坐位姿势下进行等长颈部力量测试是可行的，且表现出较好到极好的组内可靠性和中等的组间可靠性。我们提供了 RU 球员的相关数据，为实践提供信息，并协助测试方法的标准化。
