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

Baskent University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Cervicalgia

Treatments: Other: Electromyography; Radiation: Radiography

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02639104

KA15-220

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patient whose age is > to 18 years and <40 yo
• Patient presenting a chronic neck pain (symptoms over 3 months)
• No neurological deficit
• Asymptomatic volunteers (for control group)
• Obtaining the enlightened consent of the patient

Exclusion criteria

• Patient having refused to sign his consent
• Patients whose age is < to 18 years or >40 yo.
• Patients with neurologic deficits
• Patients presenting history of allergy
• History of cervical spine surgery
• Patient presenting an anticoagulant or salicylated treatment which can not be interrupted.
• Pregnant woman.
• Patient with acute head and neck trauma
• Patient with a contra-indication to radiography.
• Patient with a psychiatric pathology preventing a clinical evaluation.
• Patient with contra-indication (cutaneous or different) to needle electromyography.
• Surgery contra-indication (cardiac failure, respiratory...)
• Patient without health coverage.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Diagnostic

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

Cervical postural related neck pain

Experimental group

Description:

Patients recruit in this group who has a neck pain without radiculopathy. If the patient examination shows neurologic deficits, this patient will exclude in this study. All patients will undergo lateral cervical spine spot radiography and serratus anterior needle electromyography. Cervical segmental angle measurements will be done in all patients.

Treatment:

Radiation: Radiography

Other: Electromyography

Control group

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The healthy volunteers recruit in this group. All inviduals will undergo lateral cervical spot radiography and serratus anterior needle electromypography

Treatment:

Radiation: Radiography

Other: Electromyography