• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2013

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes of abdominal muscles thickness according to the angle during the active straight leg raise (ASLR) in young healthy subjects. Design: Cross sectional study. Methods: Twenty-three healthy university students (13 men and 10 women) voluntary participated to the study in S University. The ASLR was performed with the subject lying supine with lower extremities straight on a standard plinth, hands resting on the chest, and elbows on the plinth. When one subject performed ASLR from each angles ($30^{\circ}$, $45^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$, $90^{\circ}$), compared changes in the thickness of rectus abdominis muscle. Changes in muscle thickness during ASLR test were assessed with ultrasonography. All subjects were to provide enough time of rest after performed ASLR. Rectus abdominis thickness were measured using rehabilitative ultrasound image. Results: Good quality rectus abdominal muscle activation data were recorded during ASLR. The length changes of linea alba showed significantly shorter in between $0^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$ (p<0.05). The thickness of rectus abdominis muscle were significantly different between $0^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}$, $0^{\circ}$ and $45^{\circ}$, $0^{\circ}$ and $60^{\circ}$, $0^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$. According to increase of pelvic angle, the thickness of rectus abdominis muscle were more thickening (p<0.05). Conclusions: This result is changes of abdominal muscles thickness according to the angle during the ASLR.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Plank exercise on unstable support surfaces on flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain in patients with chronic back pain. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: This study was performed on 16 patients with chronic back pain of ◯◯ military unit. Sixteen subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, an upper extremity trainer group (group I, n=8) and a lower extremity trainer group (group II, n=8). The subjects in group I carried out Flank exercise applying the stability trainer to their upper extremities and ones in group II carried out the same exercise applying the stability trainer to their lower extremities for 4 weeks. In order to ascertain the difference between two groups, flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain were measured before and after the exercise. The flexibility was measured by sit and reach test, the thickness of the abdominal muscle was measured by using ultrasonic imaging equipment, and the pain was measured by the visual analogue scale. A paired t-test was utilized to compare changes in pain, abdominal muscle thickness and flexibility before and after flank exercise on unstable support surfaces. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was performed for ascertaining the significant differences between groups. The significance level was set by α=.05. Results: 1) The flexibilities of two groups were increased after the exercise (p<0.05). 2) In both groups, the thicknesses of rectus abdominis, external oblique abdominis, internal oblique abdominis, and transverse abdominis were all increased after the exercise (p<0.05). 3) The pains in both groups were decreased after the exercise (p<0.05). 4) In the comparisons of two groups, there were no differences in the flexibility, thickness of external oblique abdominis, internal oblique abdominis and transverse abdominis and pain (p>0.05). Whereas only thickness of Rectus abdominis was larger in the group I than in the group II (p<0.05). Conclusion: Plank exercise on the unstable support surface for 4 weeks resulted in increased flexibility, abdominal muscle thickness and pain reduction in patients with chronic back pain. Therefore, it is considered that performing flank exercise on the unstable supporting surface is suitable for the reduction of the pain in patients with chronic back pain. However, in this study, it is considered that continuous and diverse studies are needed because there was not a large difference between the groups when the upper or lower limbs are provided unstable support surfaces.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2023

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) on an unstable support surface on maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and abdominal muscle thickness as a method for effective PFME. Methods : This study was performed on 22 subjects. They were matched and divided into two groups based on body mass index; the experimental group (EG) performed PFME on a foam roller (n= 11), the control group (CG) performed PFME on a stable support surface (n= 11). Kegel exercise was performed with 10 seconds of contraction, 10 seconds of relaxation, and 4 sets of 10 reps per set. Both of group executed the exercise 3 times a week for 2 weeks. MIP and MEP was measured using a spirometer. Abdominal muscle thickness was measured using ultrasound. The paired t-test was used to compare difference on each group and the comparison between groups was analyzed using the independent t-test. A significance level of α= .05 was used to verify statistical significance. Results : The EG showed a significant increase in the MEP (p<.05). The CG showed a significant increase in the MEP (p<.05). There was no significant difference in the two groups (p>.05). The EG showed a significant increase in the external oblique, internal oblique and transverse abdominis (p<.05). The CG showed a significant increase in the internal oblique (p<.05). There was no significant difference in the two groups (p>.05). Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, additional research should be conducted to correct the limitations of this study to confirm that PFME performed on a foam roller has a positive effect on respiratory muscle strength and abdominal muscle thickness.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.25-31
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• 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to find out how changes in knee angles in stable and unstable support surfaces affect the muscle thickness of core muscles. Methods: The subjects of this study were 25 male adult. Each knee angle of 120, 90 and 60 degrees, they were performed bridge exercise on the stabilized surface and on the unstable support surface using TOGU, and measured the muscle thickness of the external and internal oblique muscle and the abdominal muscles through ultrasound images. Results: There was no significant difference between the thickness of the rectus abdominis and the internal oblique muscle depending on the support surface and the knee joint bending angles. However, there was a significant difference between the external oblique muscle and the transverse abdominis muscle by knee joint flexion angle. Conclusion: While the muscle thickness of the core muscle was not significantly affected by each support surface during the bridge exercise, there were significant changes in the core muscle as a result of changes in knee angle.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.287-294
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was, base on the observation that the leg movement has effect on muscles around trunk, to provide clinical fundamental data to develop effective abdominal draw-in technique by investigating the effect of abdominal draw-in exercise accompanying leg movement on the thickness of transversus abdominis muscle and trunk control ability in patients with stroke. The subjects were assigned randomly to experimental group I (n=9) on which the abdominal draw-in technique is applied and experimental group II (n=9) on which the abdominal draw-in technique accompanying leg movement is applied. The thickness of transversus abdominis muscle in the affected side and the trunk control ability were measured before and after treatment using ultrasonography and trunk impairment scale. A session of 30 minutes per day were performed four days a week for four weeks and the measured outcomes were analyzed. The in-group comparison showed significant difference both thickness of transversus abdominis muscle during abdominal draw-in technique application (p<0.01) and trunk control ability (p<0.001) between before and after treatment. The significant difference between two groups were observed only in trunk control ability (p<0.05). It was concluded that the abdominal draw-in technique accompanying leg movement is an intervention that has positive effect not only on transversus abdominis muscle but also on tunk control ability by inducing more efficient contraction reaction in muscles around trunk through autonomic pelvic movement caused by leg movement.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.849-859
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• 2023

Objective: The prognostic value of the volume and density of skeletal muscles in the abdominal waist of patients with colon cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the automated computed tomography (CT)-based volume and density of the muscle in the abdominal waist and survival outcomes in patients with colon cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 474 patients with colon cancer who underwent surgery with curative intent between January 2010 and October 2017. Volumetric skeletal muscle index and muscular density were measured at the abdominal waist using artificial intelligence (AI)-based volumetric segmentation of body composition on preoperative pre-contrast CT images. Patients were grouped based on their skeletal muscle index (sarcopenia vs. not) and muscular density (myosteatosis vs. not) values and combinations (normal, sarcopenia alone, myosteatosis alone, and combined sarcopenia and myosteatosis). Postsurgical disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using univariable and multivariable analyses, including multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: Univariable analysis showed that DFS and OS were significantly worse for the sarcopenia group than for the non-sarcopenia group (P = 0.044 and P = 0.003, respectively, by log-rank test) and for the myosteatosis group than for the non-myosteatosis group (P < 0.001 by log-rank test for all). In the multivariable analysis, the myosteatotic muscle type was associated with worse DFS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.89 [95% confidence interval, 1.25-2.86]; P = 0.003) and OS (aHR, 1.90 [95% confidence interval, 1.84-3.04]; P = 0.008) than the normal muscle type. The combined muscle type showed worse OS than the normal muscle type (aHR, 1.95 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-3.54]; P = 0.027). Conclusion: Preoperative volumetric sarcopenia and myosteatosis, automatically assessed from pre-contrast CT scans using AI-based software, adversely affect survival outcomes in patients with colon cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of the different condition of leg support surface on the upper extremity and core muscle activity during the push-up exercise. Methods: Fifteen healthy subjects that were practicable push-ups were recruited in this study. Subjects were instructed the push-up exercise in the different condition of the leg support surface. Each condition of support surface was set to the high and lower, and the unstable and stable condition. Muscle activation was measured by using the surface electromyography (EMG), and recorded from the triceps brachii, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, rectus abdominis, abdominal external oblique, and erector spinea muscle. Results: In the results of experiments, there was no significant difference of muscle activation in upper extremity between the high unstable and high stable support surface. By contrast, muscle activation of the rectus abdominis and abdominal external oblique was significantly higher in the low unstable support surface, compared with those of the low stable support surface. It is well known that the core muscle was important to stabilization of trunk stability. Conclusion: This result demonstrates that the low and unstable support surface for the lower extremity was suited for training of core muscle for trunk stabilization during the push-up exercise.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 1996

The rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap is frequently used in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery such as breast reconstruction and as a donor of free tissue transfer. Major problems with this flap is bulkiness, the possibility of postoperative abdominal herniation and muscle weakness following the removal of the rectus abdominis muscle. We used paraumbilical perforator based skin flap fed by a muscle perforator from the deep inferior epigastric artery, with no or little muscle and fatty tissue, in three patients for the resurfacing of relatively wide and thin defects. This technique has all of the advantages of the conventional rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap with decreased possibility of postoperative abdominal herniation or muscle weakness. Another challenging merit is possibility of skin flap thinning.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to compare measurements of abdominal muscle thickness using ultrasonography imaging (USI) to those using a special transducer head device, during five different trunk stabilization exercises, ultimately to determine which exercise led to the greatest muscle thickness. Thirty eight healthy subjects participated in this cross-sectional study. The five types of trunk stabilization - i.e., a sit-up on the supine, an upper and lower extremity raise with quadruped on the prone, a leg raise in sitting on the ball, trunk rolling on the ball, and balance using sling on the prone position - were each performed with an abdominal draw. The thickness of the abdominal muscle - including the transverse abdominal (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) - was measured by USI with a special transducer head device, at rest and then at contraction in each position. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated ANOVA with the level of significance set at ${\alpha}$=.05. The results were as follows: 1) the TrA thickness was statistically significant (p<.05), whereas the IO and EO thicknesses were not (p>.05); 2) among the five types of trunk stabilization, TrA thickness significantly increased with the balance using a sling in the prone position, (p<.05), whereas no significant difference was noted for the four types of trunk stabilization (p>.05); 3) reliability data showed that there was a high degree of consistency among the measurements taken using the special transducer head device (ICC=.92). In conclusion, the balance using a sling in the prone position was more effective than any of the four other types of trunk stabilization in increasing TrA thickness in healthy subjects.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2020

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to provide more effective interventions for elderly men with weak core muscles by measuring the thickness of the muscles according to the five core stabilization exercise and comparing the thickness differences in muscles in each posture. Methods : The study selected 29 elderly men aged 65 to 80 years old among outpatient patients at S Medical Center in B city, and measured the muscle thickness by exercise posture once. In order to find out the thickness of the external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and transverse abdominis (TrA) muscles were measured by using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) in five exercise conditions. Results : A significant change in the thickness of the EO muscles in each group was measured by the method of motion, followed by the abdominal crunches (1.67±0.15), the lower body rotations (1.54±0.07). As a result of measuring the thickness of the IO muscles of each group according to the exercise method, the bridge group (1.14±0.22) was the highest, followed by the abdominal drawing group (1.05±0.03). As a result of measuring the thickness of the TrA muscles of each group according to the exercise method, the abdominal crunches (0.98±1.00) were the highest, and the bridge group (0.57±0.05) were higher in order of magnitude. Conclusion : Consequently, the five core stabilization exercises all affect changes in abdominal thickness and are expected to continue to require training studies on muscle posture.