Sex Differences in Neck Muscle Mechanical Responses to Writing at a Fixed-Height University Desk.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, nám Sítná 3105, 272 01 Kladno, Czech Republic.
- 2Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Sociální Péče 3652/13, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
- 3Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health, Catholic University in Ružomberok, A. Hlinka Square 48, 034 01 Ruzomberok, Slovakia.
- 4Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslávských Partyzánů 1580/3, Dejvice, 160 00 Praha, Czech Republic.
- 5Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Pasteurova 3632/15, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
- 6Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Studies, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Sociální Péče 3652/13, 400 96 Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
Abstract
Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders associated with muscular strain on the neck and shoulders affect women in administration more often than men. Ergonomic guidelines have historically been derived from male models, often ignoring biomechanical differences between the sexes. This study aims to quantify the acute mechanical response of the neck muscles of men and women to a standardized writing task at university desks of the same height and 0° inclination.Methods
The research involved 57 healthy university students (34 women, 23 men; age 19-24 years). Muscle tone (F), stiffness (S), and viscoelastic decrement (D) in the sternocleidomastoideus muscle (SCM), trapezius muscle (UT), and semispinalis capitis muscle (SSC) were assessed by the non-invasive MyotonPRO device before and after 20 min of continuous writing.Results
In the entire cohort, a significant change before and after exercise was found only in the UT decrement (p = 0.021). Gender differences were found in the change in muscle tone (ΔF), SCM (p = 0.031), and SSC (p = 0.039). On average, SCM tone increased slightly in men (+0.120 Hz) and decreased in women (-0.294 Hz), while SSC tone decreased in men (-0.374 Hz) and increased in women (+0.450 Hz).Conclusions
A twenty-minute writing task at a university desk with a fixed height was associated with measurable acute changes in selected mechanical properties of the neck muscles and with differences between the sexes in the direction of change in the tone of SCM and SSC. The clinical relevance of these findings remains unclear and should be validated in larger studies with detailed anthropometric and ergonomic evaluation and longer follow-up.
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BibTeX
@article{jezkova2026differences,
title = {{Sex Differences in Neck Muscle Mechanical Responses to Writing at a Fixed-Height University Desk.}},
author = {Andrea Ježková and Zuzana Hudáková and Jaromír Doležal and Lenka Lhotská and Lucie Loukotová and Hana Kynštová},
journal = {Muscles (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/muscles5040077},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924649},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Sex Differences in Neck Muscle Mechanical Responses to Writing at a Fixed-Height University Desk.
AU - Andrea Ježková
AU - Zuzana Hudáková
AU - Jaromír Doležal
AU - Lenka Lhotská
AU - Lucie Loukotová
AU - Hana Kynštová
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Muscles (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/muscles5040077
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42924649
AB - Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders associated with muscular strain on the neck and shoulders affect women in administration more often than men. Ergonomic guidelines have historically been derived from male models, often ignoring biomechanical differences between the sexes. This study aims to quantify the acute mechanical response of the neck muscles of men and women to a standardized writing task at university desks of the same height and 0° inclination.Methods The research involved 57 healthy university students (34 women, 23 men; age 19-24 years). Muscle tone (F), stiffness (S), and viscoelastic decrement (D) in the sternocleidomastoideus muscle (SCM), trapezius muscle (UT), and semispinalis capitis muscle (SSC) were assessed by the non-invasive MyotonPRO device before and after 20 min of continuous writing.Results In the entire cohort, a significant change before and after exercise was found only in the UT decrement (p = 0.021). Gender differences were found in the change in muscle tone (ΔF), SCM (p = 0.031), and SSC (p = 0.039). On average, SCM tone increased slightly in men (+0.120 Hz) and decreased in women (-0.294 Hz), while SSC tone decreased in men (-0.374 Hz) and increased in women (+0.450 Hz).Conclusions A twenty-minute writing task at a university desk with a fixed height was associated with measurable acute changes in selected mechanical properties of the neck muscles and with differences between the sexes in the direction of change in the tone of SCM and SSC. The clinical relevance of these findings remains unclear and should be validated in larger studies with detailed anthropometric and ergonomic evaluation and longer follow-up.
SN - 2813-0413
ER -