This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR)-based assessment system in identifying clinical, physical, and functional impairments related to neck pain and musculoskeletal disorders (NPMSDs) among dentists. Forty dentists with neck pain were assessed using a structured protocol including sociodemographic data collection, the Neck Disability Index, VR-based measurements of head posture and cervical motion (with and without pain), and muscle strength testing via a digital dynamometer. The study investigates the predictive value of VR-derived parameters-such as head alignment, range of motion, and movement time and degree-with regard to pain and functional status. Findings suggest that virtual reality can serve as an objective, non-invasive tool for evaluating cervical spine health in clinical settings.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
40
After the participant sit down and put on the VR glasses, the VR will detect how many degrees the head position has displaced from the neutral position (X= 0, Y = 0, Z = 0). The x, y and z describe the head alignment, and in the table (3.3), they explain the 3D axis (X, Y, Z). Also in fig 3.3 the participant's head is in X=5.027058 Y=2.466827 Z=2.93206, which explains the degree of deviation from the neutral position.
Cervical range of motion assessment is achieved through virtual reality. After detecting the static head posture, Participants will be asked to flex their necks as far as possible toward their chins and anterior chests. Then elevate the head to the neutral and extend the neck to the most tolerable range. Following that, he/she performs maximal neck side-bending in both directions along the coronal plane. Lastly, each participant is required to return the neck to an upright position for the examination of the maximum angle of neck rotation by "turning the chin toward the right and then left shoulders" without shrugging the shoulders. All of the tests will be repeated three times, and the averaged values of neck movement in each direction will be taken for analysis
Yeditepe University
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
Neck Disability index
The Neck Disability Index is a ten-item self-reported questionnaire describing daily life, pain, and concentration. Each item is rated on a score from 0-5, with 0 indicating no disability and 5 indicating extreme disability. To be clinically meaningful, there must be a minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of 5 points, at least, from a total of 50 (Table 3.2). Many studies have confirmed that the NDI has a high degree of validity and reliability. The NDI has also been used as an outcome measure in a number of studies involving the treatment of neck pain and patients with whiplash injury
Time frame: Baseline (single time)
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