• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide analysis of physiological, biomechanical responses occurring from the operation to lifting or twist lifting task appears frequently in agricultural work. Methods: This study investigated the changes of physiological factors such as heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and biomechanical factors such as physical activity and kinetic analysis in the task of twisting at the waist while lifting. Results: Heart rates changed significantly with the workload. The result indicated that the workload of 2 kg was light intensity work, and the workload of 12 kg was hard intensity work. Physical activity increased as the workload increased both on wrist and waist. Besides, stress index of the worker increased with the workload. Dynamic load to herniated discs was analyzed using inertial sensor, and the angular acceleration and torque increased with the workload. The proposed measurement system can measure the recipient's physiological and physical signals in real-time and analyzed 3-dimensionally according to the variety of work load. Conclusions: The system we propose will be a new method to measure agricultural workers' multi-dimensional signals and analyze various farming tasks.

• Advances in biomechanics and applications
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.239-252
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• 2014

This study aimed to assess the biomechanical performance of a new generation of artificial ligament, which can be considered "bioactive" and "biointegrated," implanted in sheep. Thirty sheep were implanted: 15 sheep received the artificial ligament grafted with a bioactive polymer (grafted) and 15 received the artificial ligament without a bioactive polymer (non-grafted). The animals were sacrificed 3 or 12 months after implantation. The knee kinematics, namely flexion-extension, anterior drawer, and varus-valgus tests, were evaluated using a fully characterized custom-made device. Afterward, the specimens were tested under uniaxial tension until failure. The flexion-extension showed significant differences between (grafted or non-grafted) artificial and native ligaments 3 months after implantation. This difference became non-significant 12 months postoperatively. The anterior tibial drawer was significantly increased 3 months after implantation and remained significantly different only for non-grafted ligament 12 months after implantation. Twelve months after implantation, the differences between grafted and non-grafted ligament biomechanical properties were significant in terms of stiffness. In terms of load to failure, grafted ligaments seem to have had slightly better performance than non-grafted ligaments 12 months postoperatively. Overall these results suggest that grafted artificial ligaments have slightly better biomechanical characteristics than non-grafted artificial ligaments 12 months after implantation in sheep.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.295-304
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• 2012

This study, through biomechanical analysis, conducts a risk assessment of injury occurrence in ballet dancers while they perform running and jumping movements. The participants were nine female collegiate students majoring in ballet(age: $20.89{\pm}1.17years$; height: $160.89{\pm}7.01cm$; mass: $48.89{\pm}3.26$). Descriptive data were expressed as $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation(SD) for all variables. An independent t-test was conducted to determine how the following variables differed: duration time, position of the center of gravity, angle of the hip, torque of the hip, and muscle activity. All comparisons were made at the p<0.05 significance level. The results show that the jump time was two times longer than the run time in the duration time. The jump length was also longer than the run. The angle of the hip and the torque at the hip were higher in the right. The vastus medialis muscle was most frequently used. These findings demonstrate that participants' jumps may require more biomechanical variables for performance of better and more correct $jet{\acute{e}}$.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2011

Three-dimensional(3D) motion analysis is a useful tool for analyzing sports performance. During the last few decades, advances in motion analysis equipment have enabled us to perform more and more complicated biomechanical analyses. Nevertheless, considering the complexity of biomechanical models and the amount of data recorded from the motion analysis system, subsequent processing of these data is required for event-specific motion analysis. The purpose of this study was to develop a basic golf swing analysis algorithm using a state-of-the-art VICON motion analysis system. The algorithm was developed to facilitate golf swing analysis, with special emphasis on 3D motion analysis and high-speed motion capture, which are not easily available from typical video camera systems. Furthermore, the developed algorithm generates golf swing-specific kinematic and kinetic variables that can easily be used by golfers and coaches who do not have advanced biomechanical knowledge. We provide a basic algorithm to convert massive and complicated VICON data to common golf swing-related variables. Future development is necessary for more practical and efficient golf swing analysis.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 2015

Joint flexibility is an important factor which affect the process and duration of the therapeutic methods in the filed of occupational therapy. Hip joint flexibility and electromyography (EMG) of major flexor and extensor for the hip joint were examined to understand the biomechanical characteristics of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). Hip joint flexibility increased $18.9^{\circ}$ on average after PNF was performed by a designated assistant on 10 college students. EMGs of quadriceps femoris muscle and hamstring muscles agreed with biomechanical characteristics of proprioceptive organs in muscles.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2009

Recently, importance of the rehabilitation of hand pathologies as well as the development of high-technology hand robot has been increased. The biomechanical model of hand is indispensable due to the difficulty of direct measurement of muscle forces and joint forces in hands. In this study, a three-dimensional biomechanical model of four fingers including three joints and ten muscles in each finger was developed and a mathematical relationship between neural commands and finger forces which represents the enslaving effect and the force deficit effect was proposed. When pressing a plate under the flexed posture, the muscle forces and the joint forces were predicted by the optimization technique. The results showed that the major activated muscles were flexion muscles (flexor digitorum profundus, radial interosseous, and ulnar interosseous). In addition, it was found that the antagonistic muscles were also activated rather than the previous models, which is more realistic phenomenon. The present model has considered the interaction among fingers, thus can be more powerful while developing a robot hand that can totally control the multiple fingers like human.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.637-644
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• 2009

We have analyzed the biomechanical characteristics of cervical spine after total disc replacement using finite element analysis. A finite element model of C2-C7 spinal motion segment was developed and validated by other experimental studies. Two types of artificial discs, semi-constraint and un-constraint, were inserted at C6-C7 segments. Inferior plane of C7 vertebra was fixed and 1Nm of moment were applied on superior plane of C2 vertebra with 50N of compressive load along follower load direction. Mobility of the cervical spine in which each artificial disc inserted was higher than that of intact one in all loading conditions. Also, high mobility at the surgical level after total disc replacement could lead higher facet joint force and ligaments axial stresses. The results of present study could be used to evaluate surgical option and validate the biomechanical characteristics of the implant in total disc replacement in cervical spine.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.23-29
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• 2007

The purpose of this study were to investigate the differences between female and male basketball players in knee neuromuscular biomechanical factors during basketball rebound jump. Twelve high school female ($17.9{\pm}0.8years$) and twelve male ($19.0{\pm}1.6years$) basketball players rebound jumped for maximal vertical height to sufficiently stress the anterior cruciate ligament. Kinematic and ground reaction data were collected and combined with inverse dynamics to estimate the knee extensor and abductor torque. The EMG data from the biceps femoris and rectus femoris was used to estimate the ratio of quadriceps muscle activity. Female athletes showed more reduced knee flexion at foot contact, more increased knee abduction, extensor and abductor knee joint torque at foot contact, and quadriceps ratio at stance phase than those of male athletes. In conclusion, Female athletes showed differences in knee neuromuscular biomechanical factors than male athletes during basketball rebound jump.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.240-243
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• 2005

Osteoporosis, one of the age-related disease causes vertebra body fracture due to weakening trabecular bone and makes a substantial effect on load sharing among vertebras. Recently, vertebroplasty is one of the most popular treatment, as augmenting PMMA into vertebra. Biomechanical studies about vertebroplasty have been evaluated by several experiments or analysis under static loading but there has been no study on response under dynamic loading. This study included the FE analysis of patients who treated vertebroplasty under dynamic loading. For this study, 3-D FE model of lumbar spine(L1-L2) was modeled from CT scanning data and compared with experimental results in vitro in order to validate this model. Biomechanical behavior about each of normal person, osteoporotic patient and patient treated vertebroplasty for quantitative evaluations of vertebroplasty was compared and investigated.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2015

Objective : Walking with a Material handling is an activity frequently undertaken by agricultural workers in Korea, due to the nature of their work. This study aimed to investigate differences in biomechanical variables according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limbs when walking with a heavy load, and to use this as basic data in the design of various working environments to reduce the skeletomuscular burden on the knee joint. Method : The study subjects comprised of 22 right-foot dominant adult men and women aged between 20 and 23 years. The subjects were divided into a varus or valgus group according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limb by using radiographic findings. The subjects walked without any load and with a load of 10%, 20%, or 30% of their body weight held in front of them. The Kwon3d XP program was used to calculate biomechanical variables. Results : The flexion/extension moment of the knee joint showed a decreasing trend with increased load, irrespective of the mechanical alignment of the lower limb, while the varus group did not show normal compensatory action when supported by one leg at the point of maximum vertical ground reaction force. In addition, in terms of the time taken, subjects showed no difficulties in one-foot support time up to 20%/BW, but at 30%/BW, despite individual differences, there was an increase in single limb. The increased load resulted in a decrease in the ratio of standing phase to ensure physical stability. The valgus group showed a trend of increasing the stability of their center of mass with increasing load, through higher braking power in the early standing phase. Conclusion : In conclusion, although there was no statistical difference in biomechanical variables according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limbs, the varus group showed a more irregular walking pattern with a Material handling than the valgus group, partially proving the association between lower limb alignment and walking with a Material handling.