• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2021

Objective: Limited ankle dorsiflexion is related to ankle injuries. There are various exercises to increase the flexibility of the gastrocnemius for improving the passive range of motion in ankle dorsiflexion. However, to performances in daily activities and athletic sports and higher efficiency of walking and running, both ankle dorsiflexion passive and active range of motion are needed. To investigate the effects of combined gastrocnemius stretching and tibialis anterior resistance exercise on ankle kinematics (passive and active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion) and tibialis anterior muscle activity in subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion. Design: Cross-sectional single-group repeated measures design. Methods: Fourteen subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion were recruited (in the right ankle in 7 and the left ankle in 7). All subjects performed gastrocnemius stretching alone and tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching. The passive and active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion were measured after interventions immediately. The tibialis anterior activity was measured during active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion measurement. Results: There was no significant difference of ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion between gastrocnemius stretching alone and the tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching. The tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching significantly increased active range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion compared to gastrocnemius stretching alone (p<0.05). The tibialis anterior resistance exercise after gastrocnemius stretching significantly increased tibialis anterior activity better than did gastrocnemius stretching alone. Conclusions: Thus, subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion should be encouraged to perform tibialis anterior resistance exercises.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.168-175
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• 2021

Objective: To investigate the static and dynamic analysis of ankle joint complex between subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls. Method: A total of 38 subjects and CAI group (N=19) and healthy control (N=19) participated in this first study. Variables that were measured in this study were as follows: 1) Subtalar joint axis inclination and deviation 2) Rearfoot angle 3) Navicular drop test 4) Heel alignment view in alignment analysis. Intra Correlation Coefficient (ICC) is used for reliability. A secondary 17 subjects are recruited including 9 of CAI and healthy for gait analysis between group. Lower extremity sagittal, frontal, and transverse kinematics were measured. All data were analyzed to ensemble curve analysis. Results: 1) There were statistically significant differences in standing rearfoot, navicular drop, heel alignment view, subtalar joint (STJ) inclination and deviation. 2) Only in sagittal, meaningful difference is showed during walking in gait analysis. Conclusion: Morphological problem can affect ankle sprain in aspect of structure with no relation to compensation of neuromuscular.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of the strength of the ankle support on the walking characteristics and ankle joints when men with flexible flat feet walk. Method: 13 adult male subjects (age: 23.9 ± 2.4 yrs, height: 173.0 ± 5.0 cm, weight: 76.9 ± 13.2 kg, Navicular Drop Test (NDT): 10.2 ± 0.8 mm) participated in this study. Each participant had to walk with the 3 conditions, barefoot, soft arch support and hard arch support, along a walkway while their kinematics was recorded at 100 Hz. Results: Based on the results of this study, it is considered that men with flexible flat feet should use hard arch support rather than bare feet to induce normal arch shape, relieve foot damage caused by excessive ankle joint abnormalities and improve stability. Conclusion: Our results for men with flat flexibility, there was a significant difference in the value of step length when walking was performed using two arch supports with different strengths. The angle of ankle dorsiflexion was significantly increased, and the ankle eversion angle was significantly decreased.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2023

Purpose: Toe-in gait is defined as a style of walking in which the foot turns inward. It may be caused by an increase in femoral bone anteversion, tibia torsion, and metatarsus adductus. There are some conservative treatment approaches used to correct this condition. This review aimed to determine the effects of the toe-in gait on joint loading, kinematics, and kinetic parameters while walking. Moreover, it sought to determine the efficiency of various conservative treatments used to correct the condition. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Web of Science database, EBSCO, and Embase, using the following keywords in toe, toe-in, toeing, in-toe, pigeon toe, and conservative treatment published between 1950 and 2021. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Down and Black tool. Results: A total of 13 papers on the impact of toe-in gait on joint contact force, kinematics, kinetic parameters, and conservative approaches to management were found. The quality of the studies varied between a score of 11 and 22. The toe-in gait influences the joint contact forces and kinematics of the joints, especially the hip and pelvis. The effects of conservative treatment on the toe-in gait appear to be controversial. Conclusion: As the toe-in gait influences the joint contact force, it may increase the incidence of degenerative joint diseases. Therefore, treatment is recommended. However, there is no strong evidence on the efficacy of conservative treatments, and there are no recommendations for the use of these treatments in subjects with toe-in gait.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2017

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effect that an elastic therapeutic taping treatment given to patients with chronic ankle instability had on the vertical ground reaction force, center of pressure, and range of motion in the ankle, knee and hip joints, during a Cross-cutting movement from landing. METHODS: This study analyzed 12 able-bodied adults and 12 patients with chronic ankle instability classified by using the Cumberland tool in the motion analysis laboratory, Hanseo University. The experiment was conducted under two conditions elastic taping and no treatment. In order to analyze the difference between the groups. An independent t-test was performed at p>.01. RESULTS: Plying an elastic therapeutic taping to the patients with chronic ankle instability significantly decreased the range of joint motion in the inversion of the ankle joint, the flexion of the knee joint, and the flexion and internal rotation of the hip joint during a cross-cutting movement from landing in comparison with the able-bodied adults p<.01. This restriction in the range of motion decreased the center-of-pressure trajectory length of patients with chronic ankle instability p>.01. CONCLUSION: An elastic therapeutic taping treatment given to patients with chronic ankle instability causes ankle stability to increase during a cross-cutting movement from landing.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.379-385
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare kinematics on lower limbs between stair walking with high heel and barefoot in healthy adult women. Methods: 18 healthy adult women were recruited in this study. The subjects performed stair ascent and descent with high heels and barefoot. The experiment was conducted in random order and repeated three times for each stair walking with high heels and barefoot. The movements of lower limb joints were measured and analyzed using a three-dimensional analysis system. Results: The ankle, knee, and hip flexion angles on the sagittal plane exhibited statistically significant differences between stair ascent and descent with high heels and barefoot. The pelvic forward tilt angles showed statistically significant differences only during stair ascent. The ankle inversion, hip abduction and pelvic lateral tilt angles on the frontal plane showed statistically significant differences between stair walking with high heels and barefoot. On the transverse plane, the hip rotation angles showed statistically significant differences between the high-heeled and barefoot gait during stair ascent and descent. However, the pelvic rotation angles showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Therefore, wearing high-heeled shoes during stair walking in daily life is considered to influence lower limb kinematics due to the high heel, and thus poses the risks of pain, and low stability and joint damage caused by changes in the movement of lower limb joints.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 2007

These studies show that I applied to functional insole (a specific A company) for minimizing shocks and sprain people's ankle arising from running. How to an effect on human body which studied a kinematics and kinetics from 10 college students during experiments. This study imposes several conditions by barefoot, normal running shoes and put functional insole shoes ran under average $2.0{\pm}0.24\;m$/sec by motion analysis and ground reaction force that used to specific A company. First of all, motion analysis was caused by achilles tendon angle, angle of the lower leg, angle of the knee, initial sole angle and barefoot angle. The result of comparative analysis can be summarized as below. Motion analysis showed that statically approximates other results from achilles tendon angle (p<.01), initial ankle angle(p<.05), initial sole angle(p<.001) and barefoot angle(p<.001). Ground reaction force also showed that statically approximates other results from impact peak timing (p<.001), Maximum loading rate(p<.001), Maximum loading rate timing (p<.001) and impulse of first 20 percent (p<.001). Above experiment values known that there was statically difference between Motion analysis and Ground reaction force under absorbing of the functional insole shoes which was not have an effect on our body for kinetics and kinematics.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of gastrocnemius stretching with talus-stabilizing taping on ankle dorsiflexion and subtalar joint pronation during walking. Methods: In total, 26 subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion were equally divided into two groups: a gastrocnemius stretching with talus-stabilizing taping group (13 subjects) and a gastrocnemius stretching group (13 subjects). They were assessed according to ankle dorsiflexion and subtalar joint pronation during walking before and after an intervention, which involved two types of gastrocnemius stretches performed three times a week for six weeks. Results: Ankle dorsiflexion was significantly increased in both groups (p<0.05), though the gastrocnemius stretching with talus-stabilizing taping group showed a significantly greater improvement in ankle dorsiflexion than the gastrocnemius stretching group (p<0.05). However, subtalar joint pronation showed no difference between the two groups before and after (p>0.05), also between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Gastrocnemius stretching with talus-stabilizing taping is a useful stretching exercise that improves ankle dorsiflexion during walking in subjects with limited ankle dorsiflexion movement.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.948-956
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a prototype KAFO (Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis) powered by two artificial pneumatic muscles during walking. We had previously built powered AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis) and KO (Knee Orthosis) and used it effectively in studies on assistance of plantaflexion and knee extension motion. Extending the previous study to a KAFO presented additional challenges related to the assistance of gait motion for rehabilitation training. Five healthy males were performed gait motion on treadmill wearing KAFO equipped with artificial pneumatic muscles to power ankle plantaflexion and knee extension. Subjects walked on treadmill at 1.5 km/h under four conditions without extensive practice: 1) without wearing KAFO, 2) wearing KAFO with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing KAFO powered only in plantaflexion under feedforward control, and 4) wearing KAFO powered both in plantaflexion and knee extension under feedforward control. We collected surface electromyography, foot pressure and kinematics of ankle and knee joint. The experimental result showed that a muscular strength of wearing KAFO powered plnatarfexion and knee extension under feedforward control was measured to be lower due to pneumatic assistance and foot pressure of wearing KAFO powered plnatarfexion and knee extension under feedforward control was measured to be greater due to power assistance. In the result of motion analysis, the ankle angle of powered KAFO in terminal stance phase was found a peak value toward plantaflexion and there were difference of maximum knee flexion range among condition 2, 3 and 4 in mid-swing phase. The current orthosis design provided plantaflexion torque of ankle jonit in terminal stance phase and knee extension torque of knee joint in mid-swing phase.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2008

This study was performed to compare the kinematics among three different safety shoes(type 1: ergonomically designed and high quality shoes, 2: curved and cushioned safety shoes, and 3: regular safety shoes) and to find the effect of insole during walking. Ten healthy subjects were recruited for this study. The range of motion of knee and ankle joint, angle of rear foot and angle of heel contact were measured using a three dimensional motion analysis system. In the second peak, the angle of heel contact showed statistically significant difference between safety shoes and insole, however, there was no statistical significance among three different safety shoes. The angle of ankle increased significantly at initial contact, first peak, the second peak and the toe off phase compared with type 1 and 2 safety shoes, and the angle of ankle showed statistically significant difference between with and without applying the insole. During the first peak, the second peak and the toe off phase, the angle of knee was statistical significance between safety shoes and insole. In heel contact, the angles of Achilles' tendon showed statistically significant difference between safety shoes and insole. The rear foot angles showed statistically significant difference between safety shoes and insole during heel contact and early heel contact. These results suggest that the type 1 safety shoes were superior to others in the statistics, and applying insole could be a possible method to prevent fatigue of lower extremity and musculoskeletal disorders. Further studies are needed to find the effect of ergonomically designed safety shoes and insole on practical value in prevention of musculoskeletal disorder, fatigue and satisfaction of workers.