Measurement of thickness of the lower trapezius muscle using ultrasound imaging in individuals with chronic neck pain

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Chalomjai Pensri
Sureeporn Uthaikhup

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated altered behavior of the lower trapezius muscle in patients with neck pain. However, there has been no study investigating size of the lower trapezius muscle in patients with neck pain. The aim of the study was to determine thickness of the lower trapezius using ultrasound imaging between persons with and without chronic neck pain. Participants consisted of 23 persons with right chronic unilateral neck pain and 23 matched controls. Thickness of the right lower trapezius muscle was imaged twice using a real-time ultrasound scanner (12-MHz linear transducer) at the spinous process of T8 in a prone position with both arms by sides. Measurement of thickness of each image was measured twice using Image J program. The results demonstrated that the neck pain group had smaller thickness of the lower trapezius muscle on the right side than the control group (p < 0.05). The result of this study suggests that persons with neck pain had a decrease of the lower trapezius muscle size ipsilateral to pain, supporting the contribution of the lower trapezius impairment to neck pain. Measurement of the lower trapezius thickness using ultrasound imaging may be an option for clinicians for assessing patients with chronic neck pain in clinics.

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1.
Pensri C, Uthaikhup S. Measurement of thickness of the lower trapezius muscle using ultrasound imaging in individuals with chronic neck pain. Arch AHS [Internet]. 2015 Sep. 25 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];27(2):216-24. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ams/article/view/66391
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