Reliability of a Novel Technique for the Measurement of Neck Strength
Reliable assessment of neck strength is required to fully understand the role of decreased neck strength as a risk factor for concussion. The purpose of this study was to assess the intrarater and interrater reliability of a standardized isometric neck-strength-testing protocol using a custom-designed frame, and a digital force gauge. Assessment of intrarater and interrater reliability of a custom neck-strength-testing frame and protocol yielded intraclass correlation values > .890 and > .900 when using maximum peak and average peak values of neck strength, respectively. Our neck-strength-testing frame and protocol provided data of good to excellent reliability, and may be used in future studies to investigate the relationship between neck strength and incidence of injuries.