POP is an acronym for which finding?

• A. Pain On Palpation
• B. Spinous process
• C. Transverse process
• D. Mammillary Process

Answer: (A)

Pain on palpation is the finding described by POP. It means tenderness is elicited when the clinician palpates tissues such as muscles, ligaments, or bony landmarks along the spine. This helps identify localized sources of pain and guides further assessment or treatment. The other terms refer to anatomical structures—spinous process, transverse process, and mammillary process—which are parts of the vertebrae, not signs of tenderness.