title: Stability of paraspinal tissue compliance in normal subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The following studies were performed in order to evaluate the stability of paraspinal tissue compliance measurements. Tissue compliance is a measure of the consistency or firmness of soft tissue and is determined by a hand-held tissue compliance meter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive and blinded time course intervention measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  All measurements were performed on subjects placed in the prone position on flat tables in a laboratory setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty asymptomatic volunteer subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue compliance measurements of the T6 and L3 paraspinal regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue compliance measurements recorded as millimeters of penetration of a metered probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from this study indicate that paraspinal tissue compliance at the T6 and L3 regions does not change significantly over a 10-min interval, is not effected by the testing intervention and the number of abnormal left/right tissue compliance asymmetries is appropriate (5%) for a normal population of subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings tend to support the utility of tissue compliance as a possible tool for the evaluation of paraspinal soft tissue.
authors.affiliation: Logan College of Chiropractic, Chesterfield, MO 62006-1065.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lawson
mesh_terms: D002684:Chiropractic; D003187:Compliance; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D004548:Elasticity; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016684:Prone Position; D013131:Spine / Q000502:physiology*