Reliability of Lateral Deviation Measurement in the Hyoid Bone With Center Point and Lateral Motion Tests

Background: The hyoid bone is the only non-jointed structure among the skeletal tissues of the head and neck region, and its movement and posture depend on the attached muscle, ligament, and fascia. The location of the hyoid bone is important for airway maintenance, vocalization, chewing, swallowing, breathing, and head and scapular position. In general, the location of the hyoid bone is measured using radiographs and 3D computed tomography, and no studies have reported on clinical measurement methods. Objects: This study was performed to suggest clinical measurement methods for lateral deviation of the hyoid bone and to evaluate their reliability. Methods: In this study, 24 healthy volunteers (12 males, 12 females) in Cheongju-si participated. Two examiners performed the center point test and lateral motion test twice each to measure the lateral displacement of the hyoid bone. The reliability of the center point test was analyzed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), and the reliability of the lateral motion test was analyzed using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Results: The intra-rater reliability of the center point test was good, and the inter-rater reliability was moderate. The intra- and inter-rater reliability of the lateral motion test showed substantial reliability. Conclusion: Based on these results, the center point test and the lateral motion test can be used as an alternative methods of the measurement of lateral deviation of the hyoid bone for people who have musculoskeletal disorders of the head, neck, and scapula.