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Scapular and Cervical Neuromuscular Control Deficits in Musicians With and Without Playing Injuries.

Completed
Conditions
Playing Related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Interventions
Other: (1) cranio-cervical flexion test;
Other: (2) scapular dyskinesis test
Other: (3) deep neck flexor endurance test.
Registration Number
NCT02267395
Lead Sponsor
Vanderbilt University
Brief Summary

The study will investigate if there are differences in the presence of: (1) prior injury, playing patterns, and physical fitness habits; (2) scapular control; and (3) cervical neuromuscular control and endurance deficits between musicians with and without current playing related musculoskeletal injuries.

Detailed Description

Background: The art of professionally playing a musical instrument can be physically demanding. Such activity involves maintaining static postures and producing repetitive motions for countless hours of playing time between practice and performances, often with very little rest. More than 50% of musicians will develop upper extremity injuries and pain related to instrument use, which can negatively affect or interrupt their careers. Efficient cervical spine and shoulder girdle neuromuscular control is essential for upper quarter musculoskeletal injury prevention. Neuromuscular control deficits are linked to a higher upper extremity occupational injury incidence in most professions. However, no research to date has investigated if there are differences in scapular and cervical endurance and neuromuscular control between musicians with and without playing-related cervical and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

Design: Case-control study Setting: Musical venue and university setting. Participants: Eighty subjects including student musicians from different universities and professional musicians in Tennessee.

Methods: Musicians will be consecutively recruited to fill in a questionnaire regarding the presence of cervical and upper extremity PRMSDs. Those subjects with PRMSDs (Yes-PRMSDs) will undergo clinical testing for the presence of scapular dyskinesis and cervical neuromuscular control and endurance deficits using the following tests: (1) cranio-cervical flexion test; (2) scapular dyskinesis test; and (3) deep neck flexor endurance test. Asymptomatic musicians (No-PRMSDs) will be recruited consecutively, matched by gender, type of instrument (string instrument or other) and number of hours played per week and tested following the same protocol.

Reliability testing: To determine intrarater reliability prior to data collection, a convenience sample of twenty subjects not included in the study will be evaluated over two days for (1) Cranio-cervical flexion test; (2) Scapular dyskinesis test; and (3) deep neck flexor endurance test. Tests will be repeated with at least a 24-hour interval between testing sessions. Intra-class correlation coefficient (model 3, 2) for the two cervical tests and Kappa statistics model for the scapular dyskinesis test will be calculated for determination of intrarater reliability.

Interventions: Subjects will complete a comprehensive demographic questionnaire that includes playing patterns, as well as general health related questions and fitness activities exposure. In a second visit, subjects in both groups will complete a test battery that includes cranio-cervical flexion test, scapular dyskinesis assessment and deep neck flexor endurance test. Blinding of the assessor as to the group in which subjects are members (Yes-PRMSDs versus No-PRMSDs) will be ensured.

Purpose: The purposes of this research will be to investigate if there are differences in the presence of: (1) prior injury, playing patterns, and physical fitness habits; (2) scapular dyskinesis; and (3) cervical neuromuscular control and endurance deficits between musicians with and without playing related musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMSDs)

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
101
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  1. History of trauma or injury other than playing related injury, currently affecting the ability to play musical instrument.

  2. Pregnancy

  3. Neurological disorder affecting motor control (including but not limited to Parkinson' s, multiple sclerosis, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre)

  4. Rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis

  5. Diagnosis of any connective tissue disorder (Including but not limited to Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma)

  6. Presence of cervical radiculopathy

  7. History of recent (within the last year) cervical or shoulder surgery

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
(Yes-PRMSDs)(1) cranio-cervical flexion test;Group 2: Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
(No-PRMSDs)(1) cranio-cervical flexion test;Group 1 : No Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
(Yes-PRMSDs)(2) scapular dyskinesis testGroup 2: Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
(Yes-PRMSDs)(3) deep neck flexor endurance test.Group 2: Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
(No-PRMSDs)(2) scapular dyskinesis testGroup 1 : No Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
(No-PRMSDs)(3) deep neck flexor endurance test.Group 1 : No Playing Related Musculoskeletal Injury
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Presence of scapular dyskinesia1

Presence of scapular dyskinesia

Cranio Cervical Flexion test Score1 day

Score of Cranio Cervical Flexion test

Deep Neck Flexor Endurance Test Score1

Score of Deep Neck Flexor Endurance test

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Vanderbilt Orthopaedics Cool Springs

🇺🇸

Franklin, Tennessee, United States

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