Table 3. Muscle forces (unit: N) of the individual cervical muscles among participants during maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) in anterior, posterior and left/right directions.
Muscles with broad areasx of attachment were represented in detail by their branches. Note that the longus colli-vertical muscle is in the midline of the vertebrae and the magnitude of the muscle force is showed in the left muscle column.
| Anterior | Posterior | Left | Right | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left muscle | Right muscle | Left muscle | Right muscle | Left muscle | Right muscle | Left muscle | Right muscle | |
| Sternocleidomastoid | ||||||||
| i) Sternomastoid | 119±19 | 119±19 | 16±12 | 17±3 | 43±9 | 26±20 | 21±15 | 33±3 |
| ii) Cleidomastoid | 60±10 | 60±10 | 10±6 | 10±7 | 22±9 | 13±8 | 12±8 | 18±6 |
| iii) Cleido-occipital | 53±9 | 49±12 | 7±6 | 7±7 | 19±9 | 9±8 | 9±7 | 15±6 |
| Upper trapezius | 15±11 | 15±12 | 61±9 | 59±0 | 34±0 | 21±10 | 18±8 | 36±11 |
| Levator scapulae | 17±12 | 18±14 | 51±18 | 50±20 | 52±21 | 18±11 | 19±10 | 48±15 |
| Splenius | ||||||||
| i) Splenius capitis-lateral | 9±6 | 9±7 | 29±11 | 28±5 | 25±11 | 8±5 | 8±5 | 26±0 |
| ii) Splenius capitis-medial | 8±6 | 8±8 | 31±3 | 28±6 | 25±2 | 9±6 | 10±6 | 29±11 |
| iii) Splenius cervicis | 30±8 | 30±8 | 26±8 | 27±6 | 15±1 | 15±10 | 10±8 | 11±9 |
| Semispinalis | ||||||||
| i) Semispinalis capitis-lateral | 10±10 | 12±17 | 55±9 | 51±1 | 30±2 | 18±11 | 14±6 | 30±10 |
| ii) Semispinalis capitis-medial | 4±4 | 6±5 | 50±21 | 50±18 | 24±2 | 16±9 | 15±8 | 30±1 |
| iii) Semispinalis cervicis | 28±8 | 29±7 | 27±1 | 31±25 | 29±17 | 15±10 | 13±9 | 25±22 |
| Scalenes | ||||||||
| i) Scalenus anterior | 64±20 | 63±19 | 8±9 | 8±10 | 23±12 | 13±16 | 11±1 | 20±10 |
| ii) Scalenus medius | 20±15 | 22±14 | 41±16 | 38±19 | 48±16 | 11±8 | 10±7 | 42±15 |
| iii) Scalenus posterior | 19±7 | 18±8 | 17±8 | 18±8 | 10±7 | 24±14 | 20±2 | 11±10 |
| Erector spinae | ||||||||
| i) Longissmus capitis | 16±4 | 16±4 | 16±14 | 16±13 | 8±5 | 8±5 | 6±4 | 6±4 |
| ii) Longissmus cervicis | 16±3 | 15±4 | 14±6 | 15±6 | 8±5 | 13±4 | 10±4 | 8±6 |
| iii) Iliocostalis cervicis | 18±2 | 16±4 | 16±7 | 17±7 | 9±6 | 27±14 | 22±14 | 11±12 |
| Longus colli | ||||||||
| i) Longus colli-vertical | 21±8 | - | 24±12 | - | 37±11 | - | 40±11 | - |
| ii) Longus colli-superior | 21±7 | 20±7 | 22±11 | 23±10 | 31±17 | 27±12 | 29±1 | 33±16 |
| iii) Longus colli-inferior | 13±3 | 13±3 | 14±5 | 14±4 | 23±8 | 13±3 | 16±6 | 22±8 |
| Longus capitis | 38±2 | 38±2 | 38±7 | 40±5 | 58±19 | 27± 3 | 32±1 | 54±25 |