• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.187-193
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• 2007

Objectives : The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between electrical detection of ear acupuncture points and musculoskeletal pain. Methods : 18 adults who have musculoskeletal pain without trauma factorsparticipated in this study. They answered the questionnaire and their ear acupuncture points were examined with electrical detectors. We analyzed the relationship between electrical detection of ear acupuncture points and musculoskeletal pain with concordance rate and validity. Results : Total concordance rates of the head region was 68.00%(questionnaire) 32.08%(investigation), that of vertebral region was 67.86%, 59.38%, that of both upper limbs was 86.67%, 39.69%, and that of both lower limbs was 50.00%, 23.46%. The true positive rate was 0.704, the true negative rate was 0.492, the false positive rate was 0.508, and the false negative rate was 0.296 in the validity test. In the head, two concordance rates of the temporal and occipital regions were relatively higher than those of the parietal and frontal regions. In the vertebral region, two concordance rates of the cervical and lumbar regions were relatively higher than those of the thoracic and sacrum regions. In the upper limb, two concordance rates of the shoulder and shoulder joints were relatively higher than those of the others. In the lower limb, concordance rates of investigation were relatively low at all areas. The right lower limb was relatively higher than the left in concordance rates of the questionnaire. Conclusions : The results suggest that electrical detection of ear acupuncture points can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.2376-2383
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• 2015

Assistance of the operator’s walking ability while carrying a load is a challenging area in lower limb exoskeletons. We implement an exoskeleton called the Unmanned Technology Research Center Exoskeleton (UTRCEXO), which enables the operator to walk with a load more comfortably. The UTRCEXO makes use of two types of DC motor to assist the hip and knee joints. The UTRCEXO detects the operator’s walking intention including step initiation with insole-type FSRs faster without using any bio-signals and precedes the operator’s step with a reference torque. It not only reduces interaction forces between the operator and the UTRCEXO, but also allows the operator to walk with a load more comfortably. In this paper, we present the UTRCEXO implementing the walking assistance mechanism with interaction force reduction during walking.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the kinematic characteristics of the national speed skaters in the curve phase of 500-m race. Method: Seven national skaters participated in the study. Race images were acquired using a high - speed camera, and the three-dimensional motion was analyzed. Results: For skaters, whose average velocity in the curve phase is high, the velocity of entry into the straight phase was also fast. The fast skaters showed a larger maximum angle of extension of the knee joints than the relatively slow skaters, and the trunk ROM was smaller. Fast skaters tended to match the timing of the movement of the lower limb with the pelvis, while slow skaters tended to rotate the left pelvis backward. The velocity of the curve phase did not show a clear relationship with stroke time, average trunk angle, and lap time. Conclusion: It is important to skate close to the inner line, keep the trunk ROM below 10 degrees, extend the knee angle to over 160 degrees, and match the movement of the pelvis and lower limb to accelerate in the curve phase. The average velocity of the curves was fast for many athletes, but the competition rankings were low. Therefore, it is possible to improve the performance by optimizing the start technique, the running characteristics of the straight phase, and the physical factors.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.124-131
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• 2017

This paper present a novel approach to control the lower body power assistive exoskeleton system of a HEXAR-CR35 aimed at improving a muscular strength. More specifically the control of based on the human intention is crucial of importance to ensure intuitive and dexterous motion with the human. In this contribution, we proposed the detection algorithm of the human intention using the MCRS which are developed to measure the contraction of the muscle with variation of the circumference. The proposed algorithm provides a joint motion of exoskeleton corresponding the relate muscles. The main advantages of the algorithm are its simplicity, computational efficiency to control one joint of the HEXAR-CR35 which are consisted knee-active type exoskeleton (the other joints are consisted with the passive or quasi-passive joints that can be arranged by analyzing of the human joint functions). As a consequence, the motion of exoskeleton is generated according to the gait phase: swing and stance phase which are determined by the foot insole sensors. The experimental evaluation of the proposed algorithm is achieved in walking with the exoskeleton while carrying the external mass in the back side.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2011

Foot posture is important in the development of the musculoskeletal structure in the lower limbs because it can change the mechanical alignment. Although foot orthotics are widely used for the correction of malalignments in the lower extremities, the biomechanical effects of wedges have not yet been cleared. The aim of this study was to investigate whether medial wedges affect the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the knee and hip joints in healthy adults that are performing one leg standing. Seventeen healthy volunteers performed the one leg standing under two foot conditions: A level surface, and a $15^{\circ}$ medial wedge. The subjects' EMG data for the gluteus maximus (Gmax), gluteus medius (Gmed), tensor fasciae latae (TFL), biceps femoris (BF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis oblique (VMO) were recorded, along with the surface EMG, and all were analyzed. The EMG activity of the Gmed and TFL had significantly decreased under the medial wedge condition during one leg standing. Further study is needed in order to investigate whether medial wedges influence the EMG activity and kinematic data of the knee and hip joints as well as the ankle joints in adults with flexible flatfoot, while they are performing one leg standing.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.511-517
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• 2004

The existing rehabilitation systems were developed to exercise specific joints only. Therefore rehabilitating the various joints of human, various kinds of devices are need. To overcome these defects, this paper proposed the CMRS, an integrated system that performs various rehabilitation exercises. The characteristics of motion and the positions between human body and the system were investigated with the kinematics analysis of upper and lower limb of human body. We presented a proper mechanism to develop a rehabilitation device on the base of the study and studied the relative positions between head part and human joints. Through the simulations, the possibility of rehabilitation system was verified. And the base frame was also developed for convenient and stable position control. Finally, the CMRS was developed as an 8 degree of freedom mechanism. It is expected that the CMRS will be applied to the rehabilitations of various joints.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.269-280
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in the posture of dental hygiene students and clinical dental hygienists when implementing dental scaling before and after posture correction training using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) method and 3D motion analysis. Methods: Thirty-two healthy volunteers performed dental scaling to remove artificial calculus on dental manikin. The movement and angle of the joints were verified by RULA and 3D motion analysis during the procedure. The subjects were also photographed for 1 minute during the procedure for 10 minutes while the calculus was removed. After the removal of the calculus, the subject and the instructor checked the video together. Posture correction training was conducted by the instructor so that the subject could perform the calculus removal operation in the correct posture. Artificial calculus of the adjacent teeth was then removed for the same period of time, and the change in posture was reviewed. Results: The total score of the posture change using RULA was $5.72{\pm}0.58$ before training and $4.31{\pm}0.10$ after training, showing a significant decrease after training (p<0.001), and upper arm, lower arm, wrist position, neck and waist position showed significant decrease after training. The three-dimensional motion analysis showed significant differences according to the criteria measured at all measurement sites except the left shoulder (p<0.05) Conclusions: It was confirmed through RULA and 3D motion analysis that postural correction training using calculus removal images was effective, and that correct postural education is essential to preventing musculoskeletal diseases caused by removal of calculus.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.227-236
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week combined exercise program on gait parameters in elderly women with osteoarthritis. Method: The subjects of this study were 11 elderly women (age: $67.09{\pm}2.47$, height: $157.35{\pm}4.30cm$, weight: $62.49{\pm}6.36kg$) with knee osteoarthritis. The combined exercise program of this study was divided into aerobic exercise and lower extremity strengthening exercises. The exercises were performed for 60 minutes per session, three times a week, for a total of 12 weeks. The maximum joint moments of the hip, knee, and ankle joints with walking were obtained with 8-3D cameras (MX-T20, Vicon, USA) and 2-force plate (AMTI OR6-7-400, AMTI, USA). SPSS Windows version 23.0 was used for statistical analysis. A paired t-test was used for pre-post comparison. An alpha level of .05 was utilized in all tests. Results: The maximum extension moment was significantly higher in the hip joint after P1 on the X axis. The maximum joint moment of P3 in extension was statistically significantly lower after intervention. On the Z axis, the maximum joint moment was significantly lower after the exercise intervention at P3. There was a statistically significant increase in the extension moment of the left and right knee joints in the X axis after exercise intervention. In the right ankle joint, P1 (plantar flexion moment) showed a statistically significant high moment after exercise intervention. Conclusion: These results suggest that combined exercise, including lower limb and aerobic exercise, may have a positive effect on mobility and walking moments in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.311-322
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• 2015

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of landing height and knee joint muscle fatigue on the movement of the lower extremity during cutting after landing. Method : Subjects included 29 adults (age: $20.83{\pm}1.56years$, height: $172.42{\pm}9.51cm$, weight: $65.07{\pm}10.18kg$). The subjects were asked to stand on their dominant lower limb on jump stands that were 30 and 40 cm in height and jump from each stand to land with the dominant lower limb on a force plate making a side step cutting move at a $45^{\circ}$ angle with the non-dominant lower limb. The fatigue level at 30% of the knee extension peak torque using an isokinetic dynamometer. Results : The results showed that the difference of landing height increased maximum range of motion and angular velocity of hip, knee, and ankle joints in the sagittal plane, and in the angular velocity of motion of the hip joint in the sagittal plane. The maximum range of motion of the knee joint in the sagittal plane and the frontal plane decreased on landing from both heights after the fatigue exercise. The angular velocity of the hip joint in the sagittal plane, and the maximum range of motion of the hip joint in the transverse plane decreased for both landing heights after the fatigue exercise. The angular velocity of the hip joint in the frontal plane decreased for the 30 cm landing height after the fatigue exercise. On the other hand, the angular velocity and maximum range of motion of the ankle joint in the sagittal plane for both landing heights, and the angular velocity and maximum range of motion of the ankle joint in the frontal plane increased on landing from the 40 cm height after the fatigue exercise. Conclusion : Different landing heights of 30 and 40 cm and 30% fatigue of peak torque of knee extensor found a forefoot and stiff landing strategy, when cutting after landing. These results might be due to decline in the shock absorption capability of the knee joint and the movement capability related to cutting while increasing the contribution of the ankle joint, which may cause increased ankle joint injuries.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.583-595
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of lower limb joint angles computed with the software ImageJ during jumping movements. Background: Kinematics is the study of bodies in motion without regard to the forces or torques that may produce the motion. The most common method for collecting motion data uses an imaging and motion-caption system to record the 2D or 3D coordinates of markers attached to a moving object, followed by manual or automatic digitizing software. Above all, passive optical motion capture systems (e.g. Vicon system) have been regarded as the gold standards for collecting motion data. On the other hand, ImageJ is used widely for an image analysis as free software, and can collect the 2D coordinates of markers. Although much research has been carried out into the utilizations of the ImageJ software, little is known about their reliability. Method: Seven healthy female students participated as the subject in this study. Seventeen reflective markers were attached on the right and left lower limbs to measure two and three-dimensional joint angular motions. Jump performance was recorded by ten-vicon camera systems (250Hz) and one digital video camera (240Hz). The joint angles of the ankle and knee joints were calculated using 2D (ImageJ) and 3D (Vicon-MX) motion data, respectively. Results: Pearson's correlation coefficients between the two methods were calculated, and significance tests were conducted (${\alpha}=1%$). Correlation coefficients between the two were over 0.98. In Vicon-MX and ImageJ, there is no systematic error by examination of the validity using the Bland-Altman method, and all data are in the 95% limits of agreement. Conclusion: In this study, correlation coefficients are generally high, and the regression line is near the identical line. Therefore, it is considered that motion analysis using ImageJ is a useful tool for evaluation of human movements in various research areas. Application: This result can be utilized as a practical tool to analyze human performance in various fields.