• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2017

Recently, flexible cages have been introduced in an attempt to absorb and reduce the abnormal load transfer along the anterior parts of the spine. They are designed to be used with the pedicle screw systems to allow some mobility at the index level while containing ROM at the adjacent level. In this study, a finite element (FE) study was performed to assess biomechanical efficacies of the flexible cage when combined with pedicle screws with flexible rods. The post-operated models were constructed by modifying the L4-5 of a previously-validated 3-D FE model of the intact lumbar spine (L2-S1): (1) Type 1, flexible cage only; (2) Type 2, pedicle screws with flexible rods; (3) Type 3, interbody fusion cage plus pedicle screws with rigid rods; (4) Type 4, interbody fusion cage plus Type 2; (5) Type 5, Type 1 plus Type 2. Flexion/extension of 10 Nm with a compressive follower load of 400N was applied. As compared to the Type 3 (62~65%) and Type 4 (59~62%), Type 5 (53~55%) was able to limit the motion at the operated level effectively, despite moderate reduction at the adjacent level. It was also able to shift the load back to the anterior portions of the spine thus relieving excessively high posterior load transfer and to reduce stress on the endplate by absorbing the load with its flexible shape design features. The likelihood of component failure of flexble cage remained less than 30% regardless of loading conditions when combined with pedicle screws with flexible rods. Our study demonstrated that flexible cages when combined with posterior dynamic system may help reduce subsidence of cage and degeneration process at the adjacent levels while effectively providing stability at the operated level.

• Proceedings of the Society of Korea Industrial and System Engineering Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.291-296
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• 2002

The midsole hardness of athletic footwear affects capability of absorbing impact shock and controls rearfoot movement during running and walking. The prior studies were focused on examining the proper hardness of footwear for rearfoot movement or to finding effective hardness for absorbing impact shock. The displacements of maximal Achilles tendon angle described a amount of pronation motion is decreased when medial hardness of midsole is large more than lateral. Increasing hardness of footwear midsole are effected to reduce maximum and intial pronation angle, but declined the ability of impact shock during heelstrike. For determination of effectiveness hardness of midsole, therefore, the study that makes a compromise between rearfoot movement and absorbing impact during footstrike must be performed. The purpose of this study is to examine quantitative values of rearfoot control and absorbing impact shock with different hardness of medial and lateral midsole on heel portion. The results are useful to define biomechanical hardness of midsole for developing running shoes. As variable for impact shock, accelerations onto shank and knee are measured during 4 running speeds (5, 7, 9, 11km/h). Also, maximum and $10\%$ pronation angle (Achilles tendon angle) were measured using high-speed camera.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2001

This paper reports a few characteristics of seven insect mitochondrial genomes sequenced completely (Bombyx mori, Drosophila melanogaster, D. yakuba, Apis mellifera, Anopheles gambiae, A. quadrimaculatus, and Locusta migratoria). Comparative analysis of complete mt genome sequences from several species revealed a number of interesting features (base composition, gene content, A+T-rich region, and gene arrangement, etc) of insect mitochondrial genome. The properties revealed by our work shed new light on the organization and evolution of the insect mitochondrial genome and more importantly open up the way to clearly aimed experimental studies for understanding critical roles of the regulatory mechanisms (transcription and translation) in mitochondrial gene expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.1160-1165
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to calculate three dimensional angular displacements, moments and joint reaction forces of the ankle joint during the waist pulling, and to assess the ankle joint reaction forces according to different perturbation modes and different levels of perturbation magnitude. Ankle joint model was assumed 3-D ball and socket joint which is capable of three rotational movements. We used 6 cameras, force plate and waist pulling system. Two different waist pulling systems were adopted for forward sway with three magnitudes each. From motion data and ground reaction forces, we could calculate 3-D angular displacements, moments and joint reaction forces during the recovery of postural balance control. From the experiment using falling mass perturbation, joint moments were larger than those from the experiment using air cylinder pulling system with milder perturbation. However, JRF were similar nevertheless the difference in joint moment. From this finding, we could conjecture that the human body employs different strategies to protect joints by decreasing joint reaction forces, like using the joint movement of flexion or extension or compensating joint reaction force with surrounding soft tissues. Therefore, biomechanical analysis of human ankle joint presented in this study is considered useful for understanding balance control and ankle injury mechanism.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.268-273
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• 2000

Velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes is one of the prominent characteristics of spasticity. It is very important to evaluate spasticity objectively and quantitatively before and after treatment for physicians. An accurate quantitative biomechanical evaluation for the spasticity which is caused by the disorder of central nervous system is made in this study. A sudden leg dropper which is designed to generate objective testing environment at every trial gives very effective environment for the test. Kinematic data are archived by the 3-dimensional motion analysis system($Elite^{(R)}$, B.T.S., Italy). Kinematic data are angle and angular velocity of lower limb joints, and length and lengthening velocity of lower limb muscle. A program is also developed to analyze the kinematic data of lower limb, contraction and relaxation length of muscles, and dynamic EMG data at the same tim. To evaluate spasticity quantitatively, total 31 parameters extracted from goniogram, EMG and muscle model are analyzed. Statistical analysis are made for bilateral correlations for all parameters. The described instrumentation and parameters to make quantitative and objective evaluation of spasticity shows good results.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.47-62
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• 2005

The present study deals with a mathematical model describing the dynamic response of heat and mass transfer in blood flow through bifurcated arteries under stenotic condition. The geometry of the bifurcated arterial segment possessing constrictions in both the parent and the daughter arterial lumen frequently appearing in the diseased arteries causing malfunction of the cardiovascular system, is formulated mathematically with the introduction of the suitable curvatures at the lateral junction and the flow divider. The blood flowing through the artery is treated to be Newtonian. The nonlinear unsteady flow phenomena is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations while those of heat and mass transfer are controlled by the heat conduction and the convection-diffusion equations respectively. All these equations together with the appropriate boundary conditions describing the present biomechanical problem following the radial coordinate transformation are solved numerically by adopting finite difference technique. The respective profiles of the flow field, the temperature and the concentration and their distributions as well are obtained. The influences of the stenosis, the arterial wall motion and the unsteady behaviour of the system in terms of the heat and mass transfer on the blood stream in the entire arterial segment are high­lighted through several plots presented at the end of the paper in order to illustrate the applicability of the present model under study.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.126-130
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• 2023

Background: Arm swing plays a role in gait by accommodating forward movement through trunk balance. This study evaluates the biomechanical characteristics of arm swing during gait. Methods: The study performed computational musculoskeletal modeling based on motion tracking in 15 participants without musculoskeletal or gait disorder. A three-dimensional (3D) motion tracking system using three Azure Kinect (Microsoft) modules was used to obtain information in the 3D location of shoulder and elbow joints. Computational modeling using AnyBody Modeling System was performed to calculate the joint moment and range of motion (ROM) during arm swing. Results: Mean ROM of the dominant elbow was 29.7°±10.2° and 14.2°±3.2° in flexion-extension and pronation-supination, respectively. Mean joint moment of the dominant elbow was 56.4±12.7 Nm, 25.6±5.2 Nm, and 19.8±4.6 Nm in flexion-extension, rotation, and abduction-adduction, respectively. Conclusions: The elbow bears the load created by gravity and muscle contracture in dynamic arm swing movement.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.435-440
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study is to find the optimal stiffness and volume of bone cement and their biomechanical effects on the adjacent vertebrae to determine a better strategy for conducting vertebroplasty. Methods : A three-dimensional finite-element model of a functional spinal unit was developed using computed tomography scans of a normal motion segment, comprising the T11, T12 and L1 vertebrae. Volumes of bone cement, with appropriate mechanical properties, were inserted into the trabecular core of the T12 vertebra. Parametric studies were done by varying the volume and stiffness of the bone cement. Results : When the bone cement filling volume reached 30% of the volume of a vertebral body, the level of stiffness was restored to that of normal bone, and when higher bone cement exceeded 30% of the volume, the result was stiffness in excess of that of normal bone. When the bone cement volume was varied, local stress in the bony structures (cortical shell, trabecular bone and endplate) of each vertebra monotonically increased. Low-modulus bone cement has the effect of reducing strain in the augmented body, but only in cases of relatively high volumes of bone cement (>50%). Furthermore, varying the stiffness of bone cement has a negligible effect on the stress distribution of vertebral bodies. Conclusion : The volume of cement was considered to be the most important determinant in endplate fracture. Changing the stiffness of bone cement has a negligible effect on the stress distribution of vertebral bodies.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.153-161
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• 2000

Adaptive lengthening or shortening of the nervous system is essential in order for a part of the body to move without restriction or resistance. Up until now, most treatment concepts have focused on normalizing muscle tone and preventing contractures in muscles and joint, but, as Butler and Gifford have brought to the attention of therapists, when a part of the body moves, nerves are required to move as well, so that the integration of nervous system mobilization in treatment is equally important. As the main function of the nervous system is impulse conduction, it is obvious therefore that adaptive lengthening, both centrally and peripherally, is essential in order to accommodate the enormous variety and extent of body movements and postures used in everyday life impeding news conduction. In present day manual therapy, most physical therapist mobilize the nervous system inadvertently. Probably what may make it more difficult is that, for most physical therapist it is a relatively new tissue to contemplate, at least in biomechanical terms, and basic knowledge of structure is generally less than if joints and muscles. The purpose of this study was to introduce the nervous system mobilization to a physical therapist who is primary a clinician and who has concerned in the areas of biomechanics and pathology looking far answers to the clinical Problems.

• 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.