• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2014

Objectives : To investigate the effects of Sa-am acupuncture on muscle architecture and elastic properties of the spastic elbow flexor and to evaluate the correlation between clinical findings and parameters of real-time sonoelastography (RTS) in patients with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis. Materials and Methods : Seven patients (five males, two females) with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis were included. Sa-am acupuncture of Ganseunggyeok (肝勝格: LU8 LR4 補, HT8 LR2 瀉) was applied to the unaffected side 3 times a week for 4 weeks. During each acupuncture treatment period, patients were requested to exercise their affected arm, and spasticity and functional recovery outcomes of the affected arm were evaluated before and after Sa-am acupuncture treatment. Clinical outcomes were assessed using motricity index (MI), modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (FMA) and modified Barthel index (MBI) for elbow flexor spasticity. RTS images indicate the relative hardness of the examined muscles ranged from red (hard) to purple (soft) for color-scale, and from black (hard) to white (soft) for hue scale. Color and hue histograms of the biceps brachii and brachialis were analyzed using Image J software, and median red, blue, and hue pixel intensity were obtained. Results : MI and FMA score significantly increased and MAS score significantly decreased (p<0.05). F-wave maximal amplitude of affected abductor pollicis brevis significantly decreased (p<0.05). Muscle thickness of affected brachialis significantly increased (p<0.05). Red and green pixel intensity of affected brachialis significantly decreased (p<0.05). Conclusions : Our study revealed that Sa-am acupuncture is effective as a useful and safe treatment for spasticity in chronic post-stroke hemiparesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.6 s.154
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• pp.981-991
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to determine the practicability of an experimental protective clothing by identifying the human body's physiological responses to it as well as the human body's comfort level when wearing it, particularly with the use of a processed charcoal material. The experimental protective clothing came in two types: one whose outer side made use of polypropylene film, and the inner side, a non-woven rayon fabric; and one whose inner side made use of a non-woven fabric processed with charcoal with a 10% density. Experiments were conducted on five healthy adult women whose average age was 21. These experiments were conducted at a climatic chamber, in which the temperature and relative humidity were set below $28{\pm}1^{\circ}C\;and\;50{\pm}10%$, respectively, and were measured within a period of 60min, consisting of a 20-min rest period, a 20-min exercise period, and a 20-min recovery period. Based on the results of this study, the efficiency of the processed charcoal material was reviewed, and a database requiring the production of more functional and comfortable protective clothing materials was established.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.97-109
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• 2015

Recently, because the market for compression wear now includes all consumers, not just professionals, various items for recovery after exercising or for enhanced effects from exercise have been introduced. In this research, a systematic and stepwise design process was proposed to develop compression garment that has both functional area and appropriate pressure to protect the knee when exercising. The U-V format functional area that wraps underneath the knee was selected by considering the shape and change in the skin length when bending the knee. After the selection of the functional area, a total of seven knee design areas, including the existing product, were designed to determine the appropriate pressure. After various movements, the compression garment was ranked in terms of support of the knee, level of pressure, discomfort of seam line, and comfort of popliteal; the preferred design was selected using the quad method. Four compression wear garments were produced using two selected preferred designs; the wear evaluation was performed using a seven-point Likert scale. As a result, the optimal reduction rate of the pattern was calculated based on Ziegert and Keil's method. The applied percentage of the fabric stretch at the upper part of the crotch was 66% for the width and 50% for the length; for the lower part of the crotch, only 66% for the width was applied. Moreover, it was determined that the design of the U-V knee protection part was preferred when a 7 mm square was placed at a 1 mm distance because this not only supports the knee but also allows the fabric to accommodate various skin deformations.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2018

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of acupuncture treatment for the management of subacute and chronic post-thoracotomy pain in patients with traumatic multiple rib fractures. Methods: A total of 30 participants who have undergone thoracotomy after traumatic multiple rib fractures will be recruited. Participants will be invited and equally randomised into acupuncture plus usual care and usual care alone groups. A computer-generated random number sequence will be used and concealed using opaque, sealed, sequentially numbered envelopes. Twelve sessions of manual and electrical acupuncture performed by Korean medicine doctors will be provided over a span of 3 months to participants allocated to the acupuncture group. Participants in the usual care group will continue pain medication, exercise and physical therapy as required. Study feasibility will be measured based on the proportion of patients who complete the measurement of pain at 12 or 24 weeks after baseline. The clinical outcomes will include; the average pain intensity over the recent week at rest, movement and cough, quality of life, patient's global assessment of recovery, respiratory function measured by the pulmonary function test and use of pain medication at 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks after enrolment. Adverse events will be recorded for all participants. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The local ethics committee has approved the study. This pilot trial will inform further studies investigating the potential role of acupuncture for subacute and chronic post-thoracotomy pain in patients with traumatic multiple rib fractures.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Background: Various methods are used for recovery of knee flexion range of motion (ROM) due to a tightened rectus femoris muscle (RFM) or limited inferior glide of the patella. Stretching methods are common interventions for restoring the tightened RFM length. Also patellar inferior gliding (PIG) technique can recover tightened RFM length too. However, effect of applying the PIG to passive knee flexion (PKF) has not been studied. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of combining PIG with RFM stretching for improving knee flexion ROM in subjects with RFM tightness. Methods: Twenty-six subjects with RFM tightness were recruited. Two different methods of knee stretching were tested: 1) PKF during modified Thomas test (MTT) and 2) PKF with PIG during MTT. The passive stretching forces was controlled by hand-held dynamometer. The knee flexion ROM angle was measured by a MTT with ImageJ software. Differences between the conditions with and without PIG were identified with a paired t-test. Results: The knee flexion ROM was significantly greater for PKF with PIG ($114.44{\pm}9.33$) than for PKF alone ($108.97{\pm}9.42$) (p<.001). Conclusion: A combination of passive knee flexion exercise and PIG can be more effective than PKF in increasing knee flexion ROM in individuals with RFM tightness.

• Journal of The Korean Digital Architecture Interior Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2011

The present study investigated the actual conditions of physical therapy rooms at long-term hospitals in Korea and conducted a comparative analysis to develop an efficient floor plan and facility improvement measures. 1. At hospitals surveyed, physical therapy services were used at a high frequency but they did not have enough space for rehab treatment and long paths of patient flow were found to make patient management inconvenient. Therefore, physical therapy units should be conveniently located both in terms of distance and direction so as to be accessible from patient rooms or wards. The space should be organized in a concentrated layout for efficiency of physical therapy, and floor planning for therapy units should ensure the best possible viewing angle to therapists. 2. With regard to the disease characteristics of patients, many physical therapy rooms were in difficult circumstances because of poor facilities, so they need to secure skilled personnel, supplement apparatuses and equipment and have rooms for functional recovery, hydrotherapy and operation treatment. In addition, each of the curtained or partitioned areas for treatment should be set up with consideration for the amount of space taken up by medical equipment. The area under each bed should be designed for patient convenience so that it can be used as storage space for patient's belongings and shoes. 3. Patients complained about the lack of physical therapy space, resting places or exercise areas and demanded the expansion of rehab programs and facilities. Physical therapy facilities need to be improved for patient privacy and effective natural ventilation. 4. At most of the long-term hospitals surveyed, physical therapy units were found to have small areas and treatment equipment and devices were insufficient compared to the number of patients. Therefore, it is required to secure more space (at least 138.24 sq. meters per 100 beds) and improve facilities for better physical therapy services.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.807-816
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• 2012

The Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident has been studied extensively, as part of both post-accident technical assessment and follow-up computer code calculations. The models used in computer codes for severe accidents have improved significantly over the years due to better understanding. It was decided to reanalyze the severe accident scenario using current state of the art codes and methodologies. This reanalysis was adopted as a part of the joint standard problem exercise for the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) - United States Regulatory Commission (USNRC) bilateral safety meet. The accident scenario was divided into four phases for analysis viz., Phase 1 covers from the accident initiation to the shutdown of the last Reactor Coolant Pumps (RCPs) (0 to 100 min), Phase 2 covers initial fuel heat up and core degradation (100 to 174 min), Phase 3 is the period of recovery of the core water level by operating the reactor coolant pump, and the core reheat that followed (174 to 200 min) and Phase 4 covers refilling of the core by high pressure injection (200 to 300 min). The base case analysis was carried out for all four phases. The majority of the predicted parameters are in good agreement with the observed data. However, some parameters have significant deviations compared to the observed data. These discrepancies have arisen from uncertainties in boundary conditions, such as makeup flow, flow during the RCP 2B transient (Phase 3), models used in the code, the adopted nodalisation schemes, etc. In view of this, uncertainty and sensitivity analyses are carried out using simulation based techniques. The paper deals with uncertainty and sensitivity analyses carried out for the first three phases of the accident scenario.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.95-100
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical findings in pediatric rhabdomyolysis and the predictive factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) in Korean children. Methods: Medical records of 39 Korean children, who were newly diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis from January 2008 to December 2015, were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnosis was made from the medical history, elevated serum creatinine kinase level >1,000 IU/L, and plasma myoglobin level >150 ng/mL. Patients with muscular dystrophy and myocardial infarction were excluded. Results: The median patient age at diagnosis was 14.0 years (range, 3-18 years), and the male to female ratio was 2.5. The most common presenting symptom was myalgia (n=25, 64.1%), and 14 patients (35.9%) had rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. Eighteen patients (46.2%) had underlying diseases, such as epilepsy and psychotic disorders. Ten of these patients showed rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. The common causes of rhabdomyolysis were infection (n=12, 30.7%), exercise (n=9, 23.1%), and trauma (n=8, 20.5%). There was no difference in the distribution of etiology between AKI and non-AKI groups. Five patients in the AKI group showed complete recovery of renal function after stopping renal replacement therapy. The median length of hospitalization was 7.0 days, and no mortality was reported. Compared with the non-AKI group, the AKI group showed higher levels of peak creatinine kinase and myoglobin, without statistical significance. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of pediatric rhabdomyolysis differ from those observed in adult patients. Children with underlying diseases are more vulnerable to rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI. AKI more likely develops in the presence of a high degree of albuminuria.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.665-678
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• 1999

Stroke is a major cause of death and long-term disability. Because muscle weakness is one of the most prominent consequences of stroke, it was considered important to determine whether exercise in order to improve muscle strength and range of motion could have an effect in limiting the learned disuse of the affected side. The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of an 8 week rehabilitation program on physical and cognitive ability in stroke patients. A total of 18 patients who were admitted to the oriental medicine unit of a K medical center in Seoul were recruited : ten for the experimental group and eight for the control group. The rehabilitation program consisted of three level's of active and passive exercises for prevention of muscle contracture and at range of motion. Muscle strength, flexibility of the upper and lower extremity, perceived balance, functional independence, depression, and quality of life for the two groups were compared at the pretest and 4 and 8 weeks after the rehabilitation program. The results are as follows : 1) When measuring muscle strengths of shoulder abduction and elbow flexion, hip flexion and knee extensor, ankle dorsi-flexor and muscle strength of knee flexor. Muscle strength of knee flexor for the experimental group was significantly higher than the comparison group at the 4 weeks. 2) Muscle strength and flexibility of the ankle dorsi -flexor for the experimental group was significantly better than for the control group at 8 weeks. 3) Functional independence, perceived balance, and Tinetti balance for the experimental group as measured at 4 and 8 weeks were better than for the control group. Also, there were changes over time in physical balance and functional ability, but there was no significant differences between the groups. 4) The experimental group showed a higher quality of life and lower depression than the control group at 8 weeks. 5) Muscle strength and flexibility of ankle dorsi -flexor were significantly changed over time and an interaction between group and time. The findings suggested that the rehabilitation program would improve the physical and psychological status of the stroke patients. Thus, the gains in actual or perceived ability to perform physical activities was marked.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcome of excision versus osteosynthesis of type II accessory navicular performed by a single surgeon. Materials and Methods: Cases of 14 feet treated with excision and 13 feet by osteosynthesis for type II accessory navicular of 25 patients from 2002 to 2009 were included in this study. Radiological measurements and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) midfoot scale was evaluated. Results: AOFAS midfoot scale of both excision and osteosynthesis groups at last follow-up showed improvement from pre-operation. However, there was no statistical difference in AOFAS midfoot scale and subjective satisfaction between the two groups at last follow-up. In detail of AOFAS midfoot scale, pain and footwear requirements showed statistically favorable results for the excision group, while activity limitation and support showed statistically favorable results for the osteosynthesis group. Subjective recovery time returning to daily activities and starting rehabilitation exercise were 14.6 weeks in the excision group and 13.7 weeks in the osteosynthesis group (p=0.025, Mann-Whitney). Suture anchor loosening was observed in one case in the excision group and non-union in two cases in the osteosynthesis group. Conclusion: Both excision and osteosynthesis are favorable surgical methods, but each method has advantages and possible complications such as suture anchor loosening or non-union. Surgeon's preference, patient's chief complaint, specific needs of patient after the operation and consideration of the size of accessory navicular can be a criteria to consider when selecting a surgical method.