Evaluation of Neck Proprioception, Vestibular Function, and Cervical Muscle Thickness in Patients with Cervical Spinal Stenosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between spinal canal diameter and cervical proprioception, vestibular function, and neck muscle thickness in patients with cervical spinal stenosis (CSS), compared with healthy controls. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 23 patients diagnosed with CSS through radiological and clinical examination, and 23 healthy individuals as a control group. The severity of CSS was determined by measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the thecal sac. Proprioception was evaluated using the cervical joint position error test (CJPET), balance with static posturography on a foam surface, and dizziness with the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). Cervical vestibular function was assessed using cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) and subjective visual vertical (SVV) tests. The CSA of the sternocleidomastoid, longus capitis, and longus colli muscles was also measured. Results: The CSS group showed significantly greater CJPET deviation (p=0.032), foam surface balance scores with eyes open and closed (p=0.034 and 0.015, respectively), and DHI scores (p