• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.898-902
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to report the improvement after the Oriental medical treatment about a paraplegic patient caused by spinal cord injury. The paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury was the result of falling down. So we diagnosed it as Eohyeol(瘀血), Wei symptom(痿證), Urinary retention(癃閉) in Oriental medical system and applied herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, physical exercise to the patient for 42days. We evaluate the clinical effect of the treatment with VAS and motor/sensory function score of the body and lower extremities. After the Oriental medical treatment, we achieved the effective result on impairment in motor and sensory function of the paraplegic patient. And also we got the improvement of urinary disorder and pain. The more clinical study about paraplegic patient caused by spinal cord injury may be needed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1385-1386
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• 2011

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.129-142
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• 1994

The purpose of this study determine and compare spinal cord injured(SCI) patients’ and nurses’ perceptions of SCI patients’ learning needs about altered elimination and then provide nursing data for more effective SCI patients’ learning process. Data collection was done from September 3 to October 2, 1993. For this study, 36 SCI Patients(12 paraplegia, 24 quadriplegia) and 20 nurses who were working neurosurgery or rehabilitation unit in 3 general hospitals in C and I city were selected. Data collection was accomplished by Questionnaire method and the instrument developed by the investigator, elicited information about learning needs about altered elimination of SCI patients from SCI patient, nurse, rehabilitation doctor, nursing professor, nursing graduate students. The questionnaire composed altered urinary elimination part with 10 categories and altered bowel elimination part with 10 categories. The results of this study were as follows : 1. There was no significant difference in learning needs about altered urinary elimination of the paraplegic SCI patients’ perceptions and nurses’ perceptions of the paraplegic SCI patients. But there was significant difference in learning needs about altered urinary elimination of the quadriplegic SCI patients and nurses’ perceptions of the quadriplegic patients(t=2.48, p=.017). 2. There was no significant difference in learning needs about altered bowel elimination of the paraplegic SCI patients’ perceptions and nurses’ perceptions of the paraplegic SCI patients. But there was significant difference in learning needs about altered bowel elimination of the quadriplegic SCI patients and nurses’ perceptions of the quadriplegic patients(t=-3.00. p=.005). 3. Degree of paraplegic SCI patients’ perceived learning needs about altered urinary elimination was 2.4083 and quadriplegic SCI patients’ perceptions were 2.0750. Degree of paraplegic SCI patients’ perceived learning needs about altered bowel elimination was 2.3972 and quadriplegic SCI patients' perceptions were 2.181.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2017

An important characteristic of people with partially impaired walking ability, such as incomplete paraplegics, is that they are able to generate voluntary motion of lower-limbs. Therefore, wearable robots for the incomplete paraplegic patients require a different assistance method compared to those of complete paraplegics. First, the wearable robot should be controlled to not resist wearer's motion. Second, it should be able to generate assistive torque accurately when needed. In this paper, a wearable robot, called EROWA, for the incomplete paraplegic patients is introduced. EROWA utilizes compact rotary series elastic actuators (cRSEAs) and a control method called the zero impedance control to reduce the mechanical resistance. An assistive torque trajectory is proposed to assist gait in this paper. The proposed method is verified by simulation and experimental studies.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Therapy Association
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• s.3
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• pp.27-37
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• 1981

The Sexual Function Study and Its Rehabilitation Of the Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries Park Ji Whan, R.P.T. Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine, nanyang University Hospital The patient with complete spinal cord injuries cannot expect normal intercourse. In spite of these ultimate limitations. coitus is practied with gratification by about a third of paraplegic men. and probably a higher percentage of paraplegic women. Th-is is possible since a significant percentage of paraplegic men can have erections .In patients with upper motor neurone lesions at any spinal level, reflex erections can be produced by local stimulation , in. patients with lesions at higher levels, the probability of success is greater. The ability to have erections, psychic or reflex or both, usually appears within six months after injury .

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.6 s.81
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• pp.523-531
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• 2003

We developed a PC-based 8-channel electrical stimulation system for transcutaneous functional electrical stimulation (FES), and applied it to FES exercise and paraplegic walking. The PC program consists of four parts: a database, a stimulation pattern generator, a stimulus parameter converter, and an exercise program. The stimulation pattern can be arbitrarily generated and edited by using the mouse on the PC screen, and the resulting stimulus parameters arc extracted from the recruitment curves, and transmitted to the 8-channel stimulator through the serial port. The stimulator has nine microprocessors: one master and eight slaves, Each channel is controlled by the slave microprocessor, and is operated independently. Clinical application of the system to a paraplegic patient showed significant increase in the knee extensor torque, the fatigue resistance, and the leg circumference, The patient can now walk about 50 meters for more than 2 minutes.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2002

One of the most common problems in cord injury is pressure sores. In the early stage of pressure sores, the wound can be covered by advancing or transpositioning a local myocutaneous flap. However, it can be a great challenge to treat end-stage paraplegic patient who underwent multiple prior flaps, where continuous treatment is needed to prevent recurrent pressure sore due to infection and metabolic drain. In these patients, a local myocutaneous flap may be very difficult for coverage of the wounds. Therefore, hemipelvectomy may be considered. The authors performed a hemipelvectomy on a 33 year-old male paraplegic patient who presented with multiple, large wounds seen in end-stage pressure sores. He had a compression fracture of the lumber spine 9 years ago during a motor vehicle accident. After a wide exicision of the wound, the anterior flap was used as a fillet-flap for reconstruction. On the sixth day postoperatively, secondary repair was done due to wound dehiscence and the postoperative results have been satisfactory thus far.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 1998

This research was designed to investigate how the exercise program affects paraplegic standing and walking employing functional electrical stimulation(FES). Emphasis was also given to fatigue of major lower extremity muscles induced by different types of electrical stimulation. We applied continuous and intermittent rectangular pulse trains to quadriceps of 10 normal subjects and 4 complete paraplegic patients. The frequencies were 20Hz and 80Hz, and the knee angle was fixed at 90$^{\circ}$and 150$^{\circ}$to investigate how muscle fatigue is related to muscle length. The knee extensor torque was measured and monitored. We have been training quadriceps and gastrocnemius of a male paraplegic patient by means of electrical stimulation for the past two year. FES standing was initiated when the knee extensors became strong enough to support the body weight, and then the patient started FES walking utilizing parallel bars and a walker. We used an 8-channel constant-voltage stimulator and surface electrodes. The experimental results indicated that paralyzed muscles fatigued rapidly around the optimal length contrary to normal muscles and confirmed that low frequency and intermittent stimulation delayed fatigue. Our exercise program increased muscle force by approximately 10 folds and decreased the fatigue index to half of the initial value. In addition, the exercise enabled the patient to voluntarily lift each leg up to 10cm, which was of great help to the swing phase of FES walking. Both muscle force and resistance to fatigue were significantly enhanced right after the exercise was applied every day instead of 6 days a week. Up to date, the patient can walk for more than two and half minutes at 10m/min while controlling the on/off time of the stimulator by pushing the toggle switch attached to the walker handle.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.32-43
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• 1996

The purpose of this case study was to introduce functional electrical stimulation(FES) for paraplegic patients. FES provides the ability to rise from sitting to standing, maintenance of a standing position, and the ability to walk with a reciprocal gait. Six channels of electrical stimulation are sufficient for synthesis of a simple reciprocal gait pattern in these patients. During the double-stance phase, knee extensor muscles of both knees are stimulated, providing sufficient support for the body. Only one knee extensor muscle group is excited during the single-stance phase. The swing phase of the contralateral lower extremity is accomplished by eliciting the synergic flexor muscle response through electrical stimulation of afferent nerves. The transition from the double-stance phase to the swing phase is controlled by two hand switches used by the therapist or built into the handles of the walking frame for using by the patient. A twenty-five years old male was with a T9/T9 spinal cord injury due to a traffic accident and admitted to Yonsei Rehabilitation Hospital for comprehensive treatment. After 30 days of training using the Parastep(R) he was able to stand for 10 minutes. After 43 days, he was able to walk and at discharged he could walk for 100 meters.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.179-183
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to develop an FES exercise protocol that can enhance muscle force and fatigue resistance and to evaluate the resulting effects. We investigated contraction and fatigue properties of vasti of 10 normal subjects and 4 paraplegics by applying different types of electrical stimulation. Based on the results, we have been training quadriceps of a male paraplegic patient. The results suggested that the exercise be applied 7 days a week, and confirmed that low frequency and intermittent stimulation delays fatigue. After the two-year FES exercise, the patient's knee extensor torque increased by about ten folds and the fatigue index decreased to half of the preFES value.