title: Tissue displacements during acupuncture using ultrasound elastography techniques.
abstract: Acupuncture needle manipulation has been previously shown to result in measurable changes in connective tissue architecture in animal experiments. In this study, we used a novel in vivo ultrasound (US)-based technique to quantify tissue displacement during acupuncture manipulation in humans. B-scan ultrasonic imaging was performed on the thighs of 12 human subjects at different stages of needle motion, including varying amounts of rotation, downward and upward movement performed with a computer-controlled acupuncture needling instrument. Tissue displacements, estimated using cross-correlation techniques, provided successful mapping and quantitative analysis of spatial and temporal tissue behavior during acupuncture needle manipulation. Increasing amounts of rotation had a significant linear effect on tissue displacement during downward and upward needle motion, as well as on rebound tissue displacement after downward needle movement. In addition to being a valuable tool for studies of acupuncture's mechanism of action, this technique may have applications to other types of needling including biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. Helene.langevin@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Helene M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Langevin
authors.forename: Elisa E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Konofagou
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Badger
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Churchill
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ophir
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Garra
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D009038:Motion; D009339:Needles; D012399:Rotation; D013848:Thigh; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional