• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.113-121
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• 2020

PURPOSE: The study examined the effects of non-elastic taping on the knee and ankle joints of stroke patients to increase muscle activity, balance and gait ability. METHODS: In this study, 10 stroke patients were assigned to experimental group (knee and ankle joint non-elastic taping and PNF technique) and control group (PNF technique). The experimental group applied the PNF technique for 30 minutes after attaching the inelastic tape, and the control group performed the PNF technique for 30 minutes. five times a week for a total of four weeks (20 times). RESULTS: The muscle activity of Vastus Medialis and Tiblialis Anterior showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups. BBS and 10MWT also showed significant differences between the experimental and control groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, the muscle activity, balance and walking on the paraplegic side of stroke patients using inelastic taping, and applied inelastic taping on two joints in a different way from the previous study, Therefore, it will have the advantage of increasing paralysis side muscle activity and improving balance and walking ability.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2008

Purpose: To evaluate the results of anterolateral thigh perforator free flap for reconstruction of foot and ankle in old diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: Fifteen diabetic foot ulcer patients over the age of 55 were operated with anterolateral thigh perforator free flap. Hematological, hemodynamic, diabetic, bacteriologic and radiologic tests were checked with examination of blood vessel state in both the donor site and the recipient site. After surgery, serial check-up was performed at 6 week, 6 month, and 1 year postoperatively on the survival of transplantation tissue, condition of foot, and condition of walking. Results: There are one case of transplantation failure and four cases of partial tissue-necrosis. Delayed wound-healing was observed both recipient and donor tissue sites. At the final follow up, three cases of small ulcer were found at junction of flap and recipient tissue in plantar area. Fourteen out of fifteen patients could walk without any brace or walking aids. Conclusion: Reconstruction of foot and ankle region in old diabetic patients with the anterolateral thigh perforator free flap is a useful method which can prevent the amputation of foot and ankle.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2020

Purpose: Gait and cognitive impairment in stroke patients exacerbate fall risk and mobility difficulties during multi-task walking. Virtual reality can provide interesting and challenging training in a community setting. This study evaluated the effect of community-based virtual reality gait training (VRGT) using a 360-degree image on the gait ability of chronic stroke patients. Methods: Forty-five chronic stroke patients who were admitted to a rehabilitation hospital participated in this study. Patients meeting the selection criteria were randomly divided into a VRGT group (n=23) and a control group (n=22). Both these groups received general rehabilitation. The VRGT group was evaluated using a 360-degree image that was recorded for 50 minutes a day, 5 days per week for a total of 6 weeks after their training. The control group received general treadmill training for the same amount of time as that of the VRGT group. The improvement in the spatiotemporal parameters of gait was evaluated using a gait analyzer system before and after training. Results: The spatiotemporal gait parameters showed significant improvements in both groups compare with the baseline measurements (p<0.05), and the VRGT group showed more improvement than the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Community-based VRGT has been shown to improve the walking ability of chronic stroke patients and is expected to be used in rehabilitation of stroke patients in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.26-34
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• 2020

This study is to find a way that improves the pedestrian environment in the main street in rural areas. The main streets of five local governments in Jeollanam-do, general towns and bases seat of a myeon office, were studied. The research results are as follows. First, all three groups under investigation required multi-purpose activities on main street. This is thought to be due to the maintenance of the main street with vehicle-centered maintenance, thereby revising the walking space around essential activities. Second, the simple size of the sidewalk width is not closely related to the safety of pedestrians, and it is judged that the pedestrian space should be maintained considering the size of the floating population, acceptable activities, and proper sidewalk width. Third, the center where pedestrian space and streetscape are maintained has spatial constraints on sidewalks and lanes, so there should be spatial flexibility. Also, it is necessary to find a way to minimize the occupancy of pedestrian roads due to ground parking lots in relation to pedestrian continuity. Fourth, improvement of walking environment should involve community activities other than physical improvement.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2005

This study was designed to apply the stimulation system developed in our laboratory to investigate how the stimulation conditions affect the muscle contractile characteristics in the isometric condition as well as during the FES standing/walking. Four paraplegic and ten healthy subjects participated in this study, and their knee extensors were voluntary contracted or electrically stimulated to measure the muscle force and the fatigue index for different waveforms of the pulse train. We also investigated different combinations of the electrode positions during standing/walking. It was confirmed that continuous and high-frequency stimulation causes faster fatigue than intermittent and low-frequency stimulation. Fatigue resistance was higher around the optimal muscle length than at a stretched position in healthy subjects, whereas the opposite was observed in paralyzed subjects. The paired t-test results with the level of significance at 0.01 indicated that the sinusoidal waveform generated the largest torque among the four typical waveforms. Although statistically not very significant, the sinusoidal waveform also generated, in general, the highest fatigue resistance at an intensity level below the supramaximal stimulation. One of the paraplegic subject who participated in the standing/walking program can now stand up for 1 minute and 50 seconds with the knee extensors, and walk for about 5 minutes at the speed of 12m/sec.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.179-196
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• 2013

An experimentally measured single footfall trace (SFT) from a walking subject needs to be extended into a continuous force curve, which can then be used as load for floor vibration serviceability assessment, or on which further analysis like discrete Fourier transform can be conducted. This paper investigates the accuracy, applicability and parametrical sensitivity of four extension methods, Methods I to IV, which extends the SFT into a continuous time history by the walking step rate, stride time, double support proportion and the double support time, respectively. Performance of the four methods was assessed by comparing their results with the experimentally obtained reference footfall traces in the time and frequency domain, and by comparing the vibrational response of a concrete slab subjected to the extended traces to that of reference traces. The effect of the extension parameter on each method was also explored through parametrical analysis. This study finds that, in general, Method I and II perform better than Method III and IV, and all of the four methods are sensitive to their extension parameter. When reliable information of walking rate or gait period is available in the test, Methods I or II is a better choice. Otherwise, Method III, with the suggested extension parameter of double support time proportion, is recommended.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.252-265
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• 2015

Purpose: This study examined the circumstances, risk factors, and the predictors of fall incidents among patients in the small and medium-sized hospitals. Methods: Fifty patients with any fall experiences were matched by gender, age, and medical departments with 100 patients without fall incident at the same hospital. Data were collected from 5 small and medium-sized hospitals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a Chi-square test, a Fisher's exact test, and a logistic regression with the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. Results: In the patients with falls, the largest number of falls occurred during the day shift, in the patients' rooms, and while they were walking. Further 74.0% of the patients had physical injuries, and 34.0% had to take further medical diagnostic tests. Significant differences were found between the patients with falls and the others on 14 variables (cardiovascular disease, anemia, sedative-hypnotics, vasodilators, narcotic analgesics, dizziness, general weakness, unstable gait, walking aids, anger, anxiety, depression, orientation, and fear of fall). Narcotic analgesic use, dizziness, walking aids, and cardiovascular disease were identified as the predictors of fall incidents. Conclusion: These findings are hoped to be used in developing a fall risk assessment tool and fall prevention nursing programs for small and medium-sized hospitals.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.367-373
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of backward walking training on the balance capability(Functional Gait Assessment; FGA, Timed Up & Go Test; TUG) and gait performance(10 meter Walking Test; 10 mWT) of stroke patients. Eighteen with stroke patients were randomly allocated to an experimental and contral group of nine patients each. both groups received general neurorehabilitative physical therapy for 45 minutes per day 5 times per week during 4 weeks. The experimental group also performed additional backward walking training for 20 minutes per day 3 times per week during 4 weeks. There were signicantly increase by backward walking training in outcome of the balance capability from the FGA was increase from $17.67{\pm}1.00scores$ to $19.22{\pm}1.00scores$(p<.05), TUG was decrease from $26.45{\pm}1.37sec$ to $23.28{\pm}1.35sec$(p<.05) and 10 mWT was decreased from $21.74{\pm}1.35sec$ to $18.33{\pm}1.10sec$ (p<.05). These result suggest that backward walking training for stroke patients is effective in improving balance capability(FGA, TUG) and gait performance(10 mWT).

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.65-75
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• 2006

This study was to find out whether MBT shoes were more effective than general sporting shoes on the kinematic physiology. We comparatively analyzed energy consumption, heart rates, rating of perceived exertion, lactic acid density in blood and muscle activity with EMG. The subjects were 10 regular students of K Univ.(5 male and 5 female). They wore the general sporting shoes for stage 1(group 1), the MBT walking shoes for stage 2(group2) under the same conditions. There was one week interval between stages. 1. There was no significant difference in the energy consumption and the heart rates between two groups. Group 1 showed a higher energy consumption and heart rates than Group 2 under the speed of 4.0 mph. On the other hand, Group 2 showed higher ones over the speed of 4.0 mph. 2. There was no significant difference in the rating of perceived exertion and lactic acid density in blood between two groups. But Group 2 showed a lower fatigue strength than Group 1. 3. Group 2 showed a higher muscle activity with EMG than group 1, especially at the speed of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 mph in quadratus lumborum muscle and at 4.0mph in tibialis anterior muscle. In conclusion, we are less tired in MBT shoes than in general sporting shoes. Also, we can dorsiflex better in the ankle joint, straighten the lumbar region well and walk erect in MBT shoes. Specially, when it walks slowly, it is favorable in an erection walk and when it walks quickly, we have advantage of obesity management.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.124-132
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• 2016

Welfare centers for disabled person which are typical facilities in Korea are classified into two catagories One is general welfare center for all type of disabled persons and the other is special welfare centers for special disabilities such as visually handicapped persons, hearing-impaired persons and the physically disabled. In this study the movements of disabled persons in daily lifes were measured and many evacuation drills in welfare centers were conducted for the achievement of basic data such as velocities and evacuation patterns of disabled persons The evacuation patterns are characterized by different kinds of disabilities.