title: Sonographic measurements of the thickness of the soft tissues of the interscapular region in a population of normal young adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To use sonography (US) to measure the interscapular soft-tissue thickness and to determine any correlation with anthropometric indices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five healthy young adults (21 men and 34 women) with a mean age of 22.1 ± 3.0 years (range, 18-35) were enrolled. High-resolution US was used to measure the bilateral soft-tissue thickness near the medial border of the scapula. Anthropometric indices, including body weight, height, and circumferences of chest, waist, and hip, were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the right side, mean values ± standard deviation for the thickness of the trapezius, rhomboid, and posterior serratus muscles in millimeters were 4.9 ± 1.0, 6.3 ± 2.3, and 3.5 ± 1.4, respectively, for men and 3.4 ± 0.8, 3.8 ± 1.7, and 2.2 ± 1.5, respectively, for women. The thickness of each muscle was significantly greater in men than in women (p < 0.05). For both genders, no significant differences in the soft-tissue thicknesses were found between both sides. Based on the anthropometric indices, body weight was the only significant contributor to the soft-tissue thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US is a practical tool for measuring soft-tissue thickness in the interscapular region. Body weight and soft-tissue thickness are closely associated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Clement Shih-Hsien
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Huang-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chung-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Tung-Yang
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Tzu-Chia
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Wen-Chung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012540:Scapula / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult