• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2014

Purpose: This study demonstrated a postural alignment exercise as conservative management strategy for a woman with excessive thoracic kyphosis presenting decreased chest function, and reports its results. Methods: A 21-year-old woman with thoracic kyphosis presenting limited chest function. The exercise program underwent for 30 min in the intervention phase, which consisted of exercises to improve the strength of back extensor and to stretch anterior chest region. Outcome measures comprised the severity of thoracic kyphosis and chest function (vital capacity [VC], forced expiratory volume in a second [FEV1], and chest expansion length). Results: The thoracic kyphotic angle decreased by 23.6% ($9.38^{\circ}$) and 25.4% ($10.58^{\circ}$) in the intervention and follow-up phases respectively. Also, chest function was improved in the intervention (VC: 3.7% [$0.10{\ell}$], FEV1: 17.1% [$0.39{\ell}$], and chest expansion length: 17.1% [0.96 cm]), and the improvement was maintained during the follow-up phase (VC: 4.8% [$0.13{\ell}$], FEV1: 17.1% [$0.39{\ell}$], and chest expansion length: 64.3% [1.81 cm]). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the postural alignment exercise was favorable for improving chest function of a woman with thoracic kyphosis.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was an determine whether elastic band on treadmill training might effect the chest expansion and pulmonary function of the 20's men. 40 subjects with experimental group(male: 20) and control group(male: 20) was participated in experiment. During four weeks, each group participated thirty minutes for three times per week. Subjects were assessed using pre-value and post-value measurement chest length(chest length for resting, chest expansion) and pulmonary function(forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at one second, FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow, vital capacity, tidal volume, expiratory reserve volume, inspiratory reserve volume) by the CardioTouch 3000S(BIONET, USA). These findings suggest that experimental group can be used to improve chest expansion, pulmonary function than control group. In comparison of both groups, post-test was more improved in experimental group. In conclusion, experimental group helped improving function of pulmonary volume and respiratory muscle, and thus it indicates that the functions will be more improved through the continued respiratory exercise program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.247-256
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study were to determine whether changes of position might effect the chest expansion and pulmonary function of the 20s men obesity. Methods : Thirty subjects with obesity(M:30, % fat>25.0) and thirty normal subjects(M:30, % fat<24.9) were participated in experiment. Subjects were assessed according to position changes(supine position, $45^{\circ}$ lean sitting position, $90^{\circ}$ sitting position) using chest length(chest length for resting, chest expansion) and pulmonary function (Tidal volume, Inspiratory capacity, Vital capacity, Inspiratory reserve volume, Expiratory reserve volume) by the CardioTouch 3000S(BIONET, USA). Repeated measure ANOVA was used to compare each region data of chest length and pulmonary function according to changes of position with obesity and normal subjects. Results : These findings suggest that the obesity can be appear to low chest expansion and pulmonary function than normal subjects on position method. In comparison of three experimental position, supine position was more low. Conclusion : This study showed position of the obesity appear low chest expansion and function of pulmonary volume than normal subjects, and thus it indicates that the pulmonary function of the obesity will be suggest objective respiratory data through the exercise program.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.2113-2118
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• 2020

Background: Patients with stroke have core muscle weakness and limited rib cage movement, resulting in restrictive lung disease. Objectives: To examine the comparison of effects of rib cage joint mobilization combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercise and diaphragmatic breathing exercise on the pulmonary function and chest circumference in patients with stroke. Design: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-four patients were randomly assigned to an experimental group (rib cage joint mobilization combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercise group) and control group (diaphragmatic breathing exercise group). Patients in the experimental group underwent rib cage joint mobilization for 15 min and diaphragmatic breathing exercise for 15 min. The control group underwent diaphragmatic breathing exercise for 30 min. Both groups underwent exercise thrice a week for 4 weeks. The pulmonary function and chest circumference were measured using the MicroLab spirometer and a tape measure, respectively. Results: After the intervention, the pulmonary function and chest circumference significantly improved in both groups. These improvements were significantly higher in the experimental group than those in the control group. Conclusion: Rib cage joint mobilization combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercise improves pulmonary function and chest circumference in patients with stroke.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.13-20
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• 2019

PURPOSE: Sitting with crossed legs may have an effect on maintaining a healthy body posture and proper functioning of the respiratory system. Thus, this study's objective was to identify whether or not sitting with crossed legs affects the vertebral angle, chest wall mobility, the pulmonary function, and the activity of the respiratory muscles. METHODS: Thirty healthy subjects were recruited for this study (16 males and 14 females). The vertebral angle, chest wall mobility, pulmonary function, and the activity of the respiratory muscle were measured while the subjects sat in the correct posture and these factors were again measured with the subjects seated with their legs crossed. Three-dimensional motion analysis was used to determine the trunk and lumbar vertebral angles. Surface electromyography was employed to measure the sternocleidomastoid, the rectus abdominis, and the external and internal oblique abdominis muscles. A tapeline was utilized to evaluate the subjects' chest wall mobility. Spirometry was assessed to determine the forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second. Paired t-tests were then performed (p<.05). RESULTS: There were significant differences in the trunk and lumbar flexion angles, the chest wall mobility, the activity of the right external oblique muscle, and the left internal oblique abdominis muscle. However, the difference in pulmonary function did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: A crossed leg posture caused slight thoracic extension and lumbar flexion, which may lead to a decrease of the chest wall mobility and also to an imbalance of the abdominal muscles. Therefore, sitting with a crossed leg posture should be avoided. Yet a crossed leg posture did not have any clinical effect on the pulmonary function of healthy people. It may be necessary to study the effects of sitting with crossed legs over an extended period of time for patients suffering with impaired respiratory function.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.27-36
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• 2017

Background: Research efforts to improve the pulmonary function of people with limited chest function have focused on the diaphragmatic ability to control breathing pattern. Real-time ultrasonography is appropriate to demonstrate diaphragmatic mechanism during breathing. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of diaphragmatic breathing training using real-time ultrasonographic imaging (RUSI) on the chest function of young females with limited chest mobility. Methods: Twenty-six subjects with limited chest mobility were randomly allocated to the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) depending on the use of RUSI during diaphragmatic breathing training, with 13 subjects in each group. For both groups, diaphragmatic breathing training was performed for 30-min, including three 10-min sets with a 1-min rest interval. An extra option for the EG was the use of the RUSI during the training. Outcome measures comprised the diaphragmatic excursion range during quiet and deep breathing, pulmonary function (forced vital capacity; FVC, forced expiratory volume in 1-sec; FEV1, tidal volume; TV, and maximal voluntary ventilation; MVV), and chest circumferences at upper, middle, and lower levels. Results: The between-group comparison revealed that the diaphragmatic excursion range during deep breathing, FVC, and middle and lower chest circumferences were greater at post-test and that the changes between the pretest and post-test values were greater in the EG than in the CG (p<.05). In addition, the subjects in the EG showed increased post-test values for all the variables compared with the pretest values, except for TV and MVV (p<.05). In contrast, the subjects in the CG showed significant improvements for the diaphragmatic excursion range during quiet and deep breathings, FVC, FEV1, and middle and lower chest circumferences after the intervention (p<.05). Conclusion: These results indicate that using RUSI during diaphragmatic breathing training might be more beneficial for people with limited chest mobility than when diaphragmatic breathing training is used alone.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.155-159
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• 2013

Purpose: Circumference of the chest and waist can be one of clinical indicator to reflect respiratory function in children with cerebral palsy. In this study, we compared to differences in the chest/waist circumference and maximal phonation time between children with spastic diplegia and hemiplegia. Methods: Seventeen children with spastic diplegic and hemiplegic cerebral palsy were recruited, who were matched to gender, age, height, weight, and body mass index for control of the known factors affected to respiratory function. The chest/waist circumference and were measured in each group, when children took a breath at rest and at maximal voluntary inspiration/expiration. Results: No significant differences were found in the chest and waist circumference and expansion between the two groups. However, only in the waist expansion, children with diplegic CP were significantly lower extensibility of lung, compared to the other group. In comparison of the maximal phonation time, a significant lower score was shown in children with spastic diplegic CP, compared to children with hemiplegic CP. Conclusion: Our results indicated that children with spastic diplegic CP had smaller chest wall and waist, compared to children with spastic hemiplegic CP. In addition, they showed a shorter time for sustaining phonation than spastic hemiplegic CP did. Therefore, spastic diplegic CP will be required for careful monitor regarding respiratory function in rehabilitation settings.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.259-269
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• 2019

Objective: This study was conducted to prepare fundamental data and assess the relationship between level of exposure to airborne respirable dust, chest radiation findings, and the results of pulmonary function tests among workers in a cloth manufacturing factory. Methods: The number of total subjects was 144 (124 female and 20 male) workers in a cloth manufacturing factory in the city of Busan. This study measured the concentration of airborne respirable dust by gravimetric analysis and performed pulmonary function testing, and got chest radiation findings from December 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017. Collected data was analyzed using the IBM SPSS statistical package program (ver. 24.0). Results: The mean concentration of respirable dust was the highest in the cutting process. The effecting factors on $FEV_1/FVC$ were age, sex, and working process. The effecting factors on chest radiation findings were doing no exercise and concentration of respirable dust. Conclusions: Based on the above results, the authors consider there to be a need to secure sufficient working space and improve the engineering systems, for example the overall or local ventilation, in order to minimize the exposure to respirable dust. Health education and health promotion activities should also be improved in order to maintain optimal health status. The authors expect further studies to be performed on pulmonary function testing, chest radiation findings, and symptoms related to pulmonary function, including continuous observation, among workers in a cloth manufacturing factory.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.28-31
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• 2015

A case report of a patient who developed radiation-induced sarcoma in the left chest wall is presented. The patient had partial mastectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy (total dose, 5,220 cGy) and chemotherapy. Five years later, she visited with rapidly growing mass with central ulceration in the irradiated chest wall. The mass was diagnosed as malignant fibrous histiocytoma. The chest wall mass resected en bloc ($23{\times}18cm$) including five consecutive ribs. After the defected thoracic cage was reinforced using a polytetrafluoroethylene patch, omental flap and split thickness skin graft was done for soft tissue coverage. We applied negative pressure wound closer system for effective suction of omeantal exudate. The wound healed without complications. The patient suffered no perioperative pulmonary complications. Pulmonary function tests showed no significant changes. Each of Gore-Tex, omental flap, negative pressure wound therapy and skin graft is widely used method. However, If these methods are used in combination, we can reconstruct the large defect of chest wall including multiple ribs without any repiratory function problems.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.68-76
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• 2017

Background: Abdominal bracing exercise (ABE) and abdominal hollowing exercise (AHE) improve the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function in various patients, yet the efficacy of ABE or AHE have not yet been evaluated. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function during both ABE and AHE in healthy adults. Methods: The study included 40 healthy adults, who were randomly divided into the experimental group and control group, each with 20 subjects. All subjects performed ABE (experimental group) and AHE (control group). The lumbar flexibility such as trunk flexion test (sitting and standing position) and schober test and pulmonary function such as the spirometer including forced vital capacity (FVC) and force expiratory volume in one second ($FEV_1$) and chest circumference measurement (middle and lower chest) were measured, respectively. Two-way repeated analysis of variance was used to compare the lumbar flexibility and pulmonary function, respectively. Results: No significant effects of lumbar flexibility were observed on trunk flexion test from the sitting position (P=.478) and standing position (P=.096) in the ABE than in the AHE. However, the length of ABE was longer significantly than it of AHE (P=.024). No significant effects of lung function were observed on the FVC (P=.410) and $FEV_1$ (P=.072) in the ABE group than in the AHE group. And also, no significant effects of chest circumference measurement were observed on the inspiration (P=.468) and expiration (P=.563) in middle chest circumference and inspiration (P=.104) and expiration (P=.346) in lower chest circumference. Conclusion: This study indicated that the ABE is only more effective in lumbar flexibility by lumbar length difference than AHE in healthy adults.