title: Assessment of paraspinal muscle hardness in subjects with a mild single scoliosis curve: a preliminary myotonometer study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hardness of the paraspinal muscles in the convexity and concavity of patients with scoliosis curvatures and in the upper trapezius (UT) muscle in subjects with mild idiopathic scoliosis (IS) and to observe the correlation between the myotonometer (MYO) measurements and the value of body mass index (BMI) and the Cobb angle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample included 13 patients with a single-curve mild IS (Risser sign ≤ 4) at thoracic, lumbar, or thoracolumbar level (mean Cobb angle of 11.53º). Seven females and 6 males were recruited, with a mean age of 12.84 ± 3.06 (9-18) years. A MYO was used to examine the differences in muscle hardness on both sides of the scoliosis curvature at several points: (a) apex of the curve, (b) upper and lower limits of the curve, and (c) the midpoint between the apex and the upper limit and between the apex and the lower limit. The UT was also explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the MYO recorded lower values in all points on the concave side of the scoliosis, there were no significant differences in the comparison between sides (P > .05). No association was observed between BMI and MYO values, whereas the Cobb angle negatively correlated with muscle hardness only at 2 points on the convex side.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preliminary findings show that, in subjects with a single-curve mild IS, muscular hardness in the UT and paraspinal muscles, as assessed using a MYO, was not found to differ between the concave and the convex sides at different reference levels.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángel
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Oliva-Pascual-Vaca
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. Electronic address: amheredia@us.es.
authors.forename: Alberto Marcos
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Heredia-Rizo
authors.affiliation: Clinician, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa-Romero
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Universitary School of Osuna, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oliva-Pascual-Vaca
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapist, Osteopathic Physician, DO, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Cleofás
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Blanco
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Unit of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Virgen del Rocío Hospital, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tejero-García
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006244:Hardness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009129:Muscle Tonus / Q000502:physiology*; D064170:Paraspinal Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064171:Superficial Back Muscles / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Adolescent; Muscle Tonus; Physical Examination; Scoliosis; Spine