A novel instrument to examine the cervical range of motion of healthy Vietnamese adults

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate a novel measurement instrument for recording cervical spine range of motion (ROM) in healthy Vietnamese adults at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Rehabilitation - Occupational Diseases. A crosssectional study was conducted from November 2023 to May 2024, involving 480 healthy volunteers aged 18-59 years who met the inclusion criteria. Their cervical ROM was measured in six directions (flexion, extension, left-side bending, right-side bending, left rotation and right rotation) using the novel measurement instrument (ROMIX). Data were analysed by age, gender, and measurement time. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in ROM values were observed across age groups, indicating decreased ROM with increasing age. However, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found between genders or measurement times. Thus, the novel instrument provides reliable ROM outcomes, highlighting age-related declines in normative ROM without gender-or time-related variations. This study has received support from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) under the project, conducted from 2024 to 2025 (Project No. 2021-00020-3).