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Connective tissue, one of the basic components of the human body, is a focus of many treatment procedures in orthopaedic physical therapy. As physical therapists, it is important for us to understand the nature of connective tissue and the histological changes that occur when connective tissue is immobilized. A basic knowledge of connective tissue is necessary to effectively restore normal joint mobility. In addition, this basic understanding provides a rationale for the treatment programs and assists in the development of realistic goals for our patients. This article discusses the biochemical and histological changes of periarticular connective tissue resulting from immobilization of synovial joints. Conclusions derived are confined to hypotheses only, due to lack of applied research in this area. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1981;3(2):67–72. doi:10.2519/jospt.1981.3.2.67

The study examines to what degree the output of the Canon Auto-ref R1 infra-red (IR) optometer is affected by variations in pupil size for both static measurement of refractive error and for continuous recording of accommodation when switched to its modified mode of operation. In the normal static mode of operation the measurement of refractive state simply depends on the position of the peak photodetector output for each of three meridians: it does not depend on signal amplitude and hence pupil size. However, in continuous mode the actual output of a single photodiode is measured and the measurement is susceptible to changes in pupil size that occur within the area of the exit pupil utilized by the instrument. Using static and dynamic recording on model and human eyes the study shows that a 10% reduction in output signal relative to the maximum output level (for a constant stimulus) occurs for pupil sizes of 3.9 mm. The relatively small exit pupil has important advantages with regard to the use of mydriatic drugs and task-induced changes in pupil diameter.