title: Pilot study of the impact that bilateral sacroiliac joint manipulation using a drop table technique has on gait parameters in asymptomatic individuals with a leg length inequality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to pilot test our study procedures and estimate parameters for sample size calculations for a randomized controlled trial to determine if bilateral sacroiliac (SI) joint manipulation affects specific gait parameters in asymptomatic individuals with a leg length inequality (LLI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one asymptomatic chiropractic students engaged in a baseline 90-second walking kinematic analysis using infrared Vicon® cameras. Following this, participants underwent a functional LLI test. Upon examination participants were classified as: left short leg, right short leg, or no short leg. Half of the participants in each short leg group were then randomized to receive bilateral corrective SI joint chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT). All participants then underwent another 90-second gait analysis. Pre- versus post-intervention gait data were then analyzed within treatment groups by an individual who was blinded to participant group status. For the primary analysis, all p-values were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within groups, no differences in measured gait parameters were statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The protocol of this study was acceptable to all subjects who were invited to participate. No participants refused randomization. Based on the data collected, we estimated that a larger main study would require 34 participants in each comparison group to detect a moderate effect size.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor/Research Fellow, Department of Physiology and Chemistry, Texas Chiropractic College.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Technique, Principles and Therapeutics, Texas Chiropractic College.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sorrels
authors.affiliation: Professor, Chairman, Department of Clinical Specialties, Texas Chiropractic College.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coats
authors.affiliation: Memorial Bone & Joint Clinic Researcher.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pourmoghaddam
authors.affiliation: TCC graduate student assistant.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deleon
authors.affiliation: TCC graduate student assistant.
authors.forename: Paige
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daigneault
keywords: biomechanics; chiropractic; drop table technique; gait; locomotion; manipulation; randomization