Isometric, concentric, and eccentric neck strength in the sagittal and coronal planes of motion for adult females

Objective Assess strength in adult females using multiple positions, motions, and contraction types, to better understand strength production of young and non-symptomatic of adult female subjects to help assess and improve the biofidelity of anthropomorphic test devices and human body models. Methods Fifteen adult females (25.4 +/- 6.3 years) were recruited for this study. Strength measurements were collected for the sagittal and coronal planes during isometric, concentric, and eccentric muscle contractions in neutral and mid-range of motion anatomical positions. Results For both planes, subjects were strongest during eccentric muscle contractions and weakest in concentric muscle activations. In the sagittal plane, subjects were stronger in extension for all muscle activation types and anatomical positions. In the coronal plane, there were no side differences in isometric nor concentric strength. Conclusions Neck strength of adult females depends on muscle activation type and anatomical positions. Future computational models should account for muscle activation type when quantifying responses of female subjects.