• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2018

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise therapy on low back pain (LBP), the function of paraspinal and abdominis muscles, and the sacrohorizontal angle as seen on the radiographs of the lumbar spine in a young female golf player with LBP. METHODS: This case report describes an 11-year-old female golfer who presented with LBP. The exercise therapy program comprised lumbar joint mobilization, lumbar spine flexion distraction, abdominal bridge, plank, side plank, and single-leg extensions from a 4-point kneeling position for 40 min/day; this was done twice a week for 8-weeks. LBP [visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI)] and function of paraspinal and abdominis muscles [Ito test, curl-up test, $90^{\circ}$ stop test, squat test, opened eye one leg stance test (OEOL), and closed eye one leg stance test (CEOL)] were measured before and after 4 and 8 weeks of exercise therapy. The radiographs were analyzed for the lumbar Cobb's angle and sacrohorizontal angle before and after 8 weeks of exercise therapy. RESULTS: After 4 and/or 8 weeks of exercise therapy, VAS and ODI scores decreased; results for the Ito test, curl-up test, $90^{\circ}$ stop test, squat test, and OEOL and CEOL of muscle function improved; and the lumbar Cobb's angle and sacrohorizontal angle improved. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that exercise therapy improves LBP, muscle function, and radiographic parameters associated with LBP in young golf players. These findings have clinical implications for exercise therapy in young female golf players who have LBP.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.67-71
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• 2017

PURPOSE: Muscle fatigue is a cause to change proprioception. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of calf muscle fatigue and visual control on postural balance during single-legged standing in healthy adults. METHODS: Nineteen healthy adults (male) were participated in this study (mean age: 24.36 years; mean height: 171.32 cm; mean weight: 64.58 kg). The postural balance (sway length, sway area, sway velocity of COG displacement) was measured by Balance Trainer System (BT4) in before and after calf muscle fatigue feeling in single legged stance. In this study, repetitive single-legged heel rise test was used to induce fatigue of the calf muscle. Paired t- test was used to compare the postural balance between before and after calf muscle fatigue. Data of subjects were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Level of significance was set to .05. RESULTS: The sway length, sway area, sway velocity of COG (center of gravity) displacement after calf muscle fatigue feeling was significantly increased compared to before calf muscle fatigue feeling during single leg standing both eye open and close conditions (p<.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggested that calf muscle fatigue feeling has affected on postural balance when standing one leg both eye open and close conditions and postural control was disturbed by muscle fatigue and visual feedback in single leg standing.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.323-329
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• 2020

This paper presents a control algorithm for a wearable walking aid robot for subjects with paraplegia after stroke. After a stroke, a slow, asymmetrical and unstable gait pattern is observed in a number of patients. In many cases, one leg can move in a relatively normal pattern, while the other leg is dysfunctional due to paralysis. We have adopted the so-called assist-as-needed control that encourages the patient to walk as much as possible while the robot assists as necessary to create the gait motion of the paralyzed leg. A virtual wall was implemented for the assist-as-needed control. A position based admittance controller was applied in the swing phase to follow human intentions for both the normal and paralyzed legs. A position controller was applied in the stance phase for both legs. A power controller was applied to obtain stable performance in that the output power of the system was delimited during the sample interval. In order to verify the proposed control algorithm, we performed a simulation with 1-DOF leg models. The preliminary results have shown that the control algorithm can follow human intentions during the swing phase by providing as much assistance as needed. In addition, the virtual wall effectively guided the paralyzed leg with stable force display.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to quantify the biomechanical characteristics of the ground reaction force(GRF) during the Taekwondo's Apkubi, one of the basic movement in Taekwondo and the walking. The GRF profiles under the stance foot of Apkubi movement and walking were directly measured in sample of 20 healthy older persons. In the anterior-posterior and vertical direction, the GRF of the Apkubi movement reached to the peak braking force at 10% of the normalized stance time percent and the peak driving force at 90% of stance time, but that of the walking reached to the peak braking force at 20% of stance time and the peak driving force at 80% of stance time. In vertical force, the GRF of the walking showed two peak values, but that of the Apkubi movement seemed three peak values. Moreover the first peak vertical force was significantly(t=6.085, p<.001) greater in the walking(about 1.8 times of body weight) than the Apkubi(about 1.4 times of body weight). The walking velocity was affected significantly(over p<.05) by the braking impulse, the peak braking force and the first peak vertical force. Futhermore the peak braking force in the Apkubi showed a significant effect on the Apkubi's stride length(p<.01). So, we concluded that the braking force after the right touch down, the stance foot on the ground contributed to move the leg forward.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of virtual exercise training programs on the improvement of balance in the elderly women. Methods: The subjects were fifteen female citizens, 67 years of age or older living in G city, the subjects were randomly divided into groups; Virtual exercise training group(n=9), control group (n=6). After treatment measured balance by Berg Balance scale test and One-leg stand test during virtual exercise training program at pre-intervention and post-intervention. Results : The results of this study were as follows : Virtual Exercise Training Program (Wii fit) after applying the Berg balance test scores and One-Legged Stance Test, the evaluation results showed significant results(p<05). Conclusion : Virtual exercise training programs can be used to improve the balance of the elderly, as it has been shown to increase Berg balance test and one-leg stand results conducted after virtual training programs. Virtual Exercise Programs(Wii fit) were applied to demonstrate the effecting the balance of the elderly to promote more research on the impact of the ADL survey.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2016

Objective: This purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between dimensionless leg stiffness and kinetic variables during gait performance, and its modulation with body weight. Method: The study sample consisted of 10 young women divided into 2 groups (Control, n=5 and Obese, n=5). Four camcorders (HDR-HC7/HDV 1080i, Sony Corp, Japan) and one force plate (AMTI., USA) were used to analyze the vertical ground reaction force (GRF) variables, center of pressure (COP), low limb joint angle, position of pelvis center and leg lengths during the stance phase of the gait cycle. Results: Our results revealed that the center of mass (COM) displacement velocity along the y-axis was significantly higher in the obese group than that in control subjects. Displacement in the position of the center of the pelvis center (Z-axis) was also significantly higher in the obese group than that in control subjects. In addition, the peak vertical force (PVF) and dimensionless leg stiffness were also significantly higher in the obese group. However, when normalized to the body weight, the PVF did not show a significant between-group difference. When normalized to the leg length, the PVF and stiffness were both lower in the obese group than in control subjects. Conclusion: In the context of performance, we concluded that increased dimensionless leg stiffness during the gait cycle is associated with increased velocity of COM, PVF, and the change in leg lengths (%).

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.425-431
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• 2015

The objective of this study was to effect of Tai Chi on balance and muscle activity of ankle joints with USN sensor in elderly people. Thirty six elderly participated and randomly assigned to a experimental group with Tai Chi and control group. The experimental group trained using a Tai Chi through 3 times per a week over 6 weeks. For all subjects, their balance such as functional reach test and one leg stance test, the change of muscle activity of ankle joints with USN sensor wireless-electromyogram during leg closed stance with eye closed were measured, and the results were as followed. The results were of a signigicant changes to the balance in group and between group as well. Comparison of muscle activity left tibialis anterior and left gastrocnemius in group, there were significant difference. Comparison of muscle activity right tibialis anterior and right gastrocnemius in group, there were significant difference. Comparison of muscle activity between groups, there was significant difference. Additional results indicated that, elderly people who received Tai Chi in one study, improve balance control and muscle activity ankle joint. so it is anticipated that improvement in clinical utilization for the elderly who's gait ability and balance ability reduced.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.136-143
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of physical functions of elderly people on their clothing behavior and to provide basic information about manufacturing comfortable apparels for the elderly. A total of 219 people, with ages between 60s and 70s, participated in the survey and in the experiment to correlate their tendency of wearing clothes with the state of their physical functions. About 78.5% of the elderly showed eyesight deterioration in the subjective evaluation. Elders in their 60s raised their arms higher up in overhead reach, and showed shorter distance between middle fingertips in behind back stretch and in back scratch than elders in their 70s. Also, the former stretched farther to the floor in standing trunk flexion, and maintained more steady in one leg stand and in tandem stance than the latter. The narrower the movement range of the upper limb joints was, the more the elderly preferred upper garments with full front opening to those with half or no opening. The more inflexible the upper limbs and waist and the more unbalanced the body was, the more likely the elderly put on pants while sitting on the floor. The time taken to button up the shirt and to put on and take off pants showed a positive correlation with the overhead reach, the behind back stretch, the back scratch and the standing trunk flexion, whereas the former showed a negative correlation with the one leg stand and the tandem stance.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.63-66
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of exercise-induced fatigue of the plantar flexor muscle in the dominant ankle on the plantar flexor strength and postural control function of the contra-lateral side. Methods: Twenty-one young adults (male: 10, female: 11) volunteered to participate in this study. An exercise-induced fatigue protocol to induce fatigue was performed in the plantar flexor of the dominant ankle. For the fatigue protocol, the participants were instructed to raise their heels as high as possible in the position with one leg stance of the dominant lower limb, and the heel was then downed after holding for 1 second. The muscle strength of the contra-lateral plantar flexor was measured using a digital muscle strength test device, and the static and dynamic postural control were tested by acquiring the center of gravity velocity while performing one leg standing. A paired t-test was used to identify the differences between the pre- and post, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 software. Results: Comparison of the pre- and post-test data revealed a significant difference in the plantar flexor strength and dynamic postural control after exercise-induced muscle fatigue in the dominant side. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the static postural control. Conclusion: These findings have practical implications, suggesting that unilateral muscle fatigue affects the ankle muscle strength and postural ability of the contralateral side.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2016

A prosthetic knee for above-knee (AK) amputee is categorized into passive and active type. The passive prosthetic knee is generally made by elastic material. Although AK amputee can easily walk by using passive prosthetic leg, knee joint motions are not similar to ordinary persons. The active prosthetic leg can control the knee angle owing to the actuator and microprocessor. However, the active type is not cost-effective and the stability may be lost due to the malfunction of sensors. In order to resolve these disadvantages of passive and active type, a semi-active prosthetic knee which can control the knee angle is proposed in this work. The proposed semi-active one requires a less input energy but provides active type performance. In order to achieve this goal, in this work, a semi-active prosthetic knee using magneto-rheological (MR) damper for AK amputees is designed. The MR damper can support the weight of body by using less energy than actuator of active prosthetic. It can control knee angle by inducing the magnetic field at the time of stance phase. This salient characteristic is evaluated and presented in this work.