• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2009

Existing footwear biomechanics studies rely on simplified kinetics and kinematics, plantar pressure and muscle electromyography measurements. Because of the complexity of foot-shoe interface and individualized subject response with different footwear, consistent results regarding the biomechanical performance of footwear or footwear components can yet be achieved. The computational approach can be an efficient and economic alternative to study the biomechanical interactions of foot and footwear. Continuous advancement in numerical techniques as well as computer technology has made the finite element method a versatile and successful tool for biomechanics researchdue to its capability of modelling irregular geometrical structures, complex material properties, and complicated loading and boundary conditions. Finite element analysis offers asystematic and economic alternative in search of more in-depth biomechanical information such as the internal stress and strain distributions of foot and footwear structures. In this paper, the current establishments and applications of the computational approach for footwear design and evaluation are reviewed.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.231-241
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyze the distribution of foot pressure generated by active materials of a functional insole. Comfort is an important consideration while selectingfootwear and insoles. Consequently, it has an influence on injury. The development of new materials for functional insoles is considered one of the more important points for their manufacture. The method adopted in this study is as follows. First, ten healthy males were selected as subjects for the study. Each subject's foof was pre-screened podoscope(Alfoots, Korea) to check for the presence of any foot abnormalities, Two kinds of equipment were used for the study: a foot pressure device from Pedar-X, Germany, and a treadmill from Pulsefitness, UK. Next, each subject was asked to test four types of insoles(insoles of outdoor shoes, indoor shoes, walking shoes, and sports shoes) via walking trials on the treadmill at a constant speed of 4.2 km/h. The pressure distribution data(contact area, maximum force, maximum peak pressure, and maximum mean pressure) was collected using the pressure device at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. Results of the tests showed that all four types of functional insoles increased contact areas whit the foot. Further, functional insoles of walking shoes and sport shoes decreased the foot pressure. From these results, we conclude that the active materials of functional insoles of shoes can increase the contact area and provide greater comfort.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of landing foot orientations on biomechanics of knee joint in order to identify vulnerable positions to non-contact knee injuries during single-legged landing. Method: Seventeen men (age: $20.5{\pm}1.1 years$, height: $175.2{\pm}6.4cm$, weight: $68.8{\pm}5.8kg$) performed single-leg drop landings repeatedly with three different landing foot orientations. They were defined as toe-in (TI) $30^{\circ}$ adduction, neutral (N, neutral), and toe-out (TO) $30^{\circ}$ abduction positions. Results: The downward phase time of TI was significantly shorter than those of N and TO. The flexion and valgus angle of N was greater than those of TI and TO at the moment of foot contact. At the instance of maximum knee flexion, N showed the largest flexion angle, and TO position had the largest varus and external rotation angles. Regarding ground reaction force (GRF) at the moment of foot contact, TO showed the forward GRF, while others showed the backward GRF. TI indicated significantly larger mediolateral GRF than others. As for the maximum knee joint force and joint moment, the main effect of different foot positions was not significant. Conclusion: TI and TO might be vulnerable positions to knee injuries because both conditions might induce combined loadings to knee joint. TI had the highest mediolateral GRF with a shortest foot contact time, and TO had induced a large external rotation angle during downward phase and the peak forward GRF at the moment of foot contact. Conclusively, N is the preferred landing foot orientation to prevent non-contact knee injuries.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to find the difference in gait patterns when elderly and young people walk by analyzing COP, Gait Line, Foot pressure pattern, and ensuring the original biomechanics technology of developing high performance footwear for the elderly. The subjects who took part in the test consist of 20 elderly people and 20 young people. The physical features of the elderly people that were recruited for the study are as below: 20 healthy male subjects(elderly people) with an average age of 75.43 yrs(S.D 6.46 yrs), weight of 68.10 kg(S.D 0.94 kg) and a height of 168.65 cm(S.D 1.47 cm). Foot pressure pattern data was collected using a EMED-AT system(Novel Gmbh, Germany) operating at the 50 Hz during walking. The results are as follow : COP route of the elderly leans to lateral compared to the young, and Gait Line from heel to toe is not clear and laterally curved. At the same time, a contact are aonthe midfoot is high compared to the young, and maximum force of the forefoot is low. As a result of analysis, in order to develop high performance footwear for the elderly, it is necessary to develop lasts and soles reflecting the elderly's gait patterns.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2010

Ultrasonographic diagnosis and treatment in Orthopaedic fields had been widely used. Sonographic diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle is convenient because of anatomical characteristics. The knowledge of the anatomy and biomechanics in foot and ankle area can help to diagnose and treat the disease around foot and ankle. 28 bone and many tendons, ligaments and muscles are consist of ankle and foot joint and the coordinative relation among these structures can allow the dual function, weight bearing and locomotion of ankle and foot during gait cycle. Foot and ankle have small room for many structures, so systemically physical examination is essential for diagnosis. Accurate understanding of foot and ankle anatomy and biomechanics could be helpful to using ultrasonograph.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2012

The structural and biomechanical characteristics of pelvic and foot are important factors of back pain, but it is still complicated to clearly explain the relationship among them. The purpose of this study was to find out the characteristic of pelvic parameters and biomechanics of foot in patients with low back pain. Thirty-three female subjects with chronic low back pain were enrolled and ODI and VAS score were measured for back pain index. All subjects were taken the X-ray examination for major pelvic parameters and foot scan analysis for foot pressure, gait angle, fore-foot/rear-foot peak pressure ratio and asymmetric index. Statistical analysis were performed to examine the inter-relation between the measurement. As a result, it was shown the positive interrelation between back pain and F/R ratio, but others were not shown the relationship related to low back pain. And there were correlations between the lumbo-pelvic structure and biomechanics of foot in some aspects, but the causal relationship between them are still indefinable. In order to get more information about structures and biomechanics related to low back pain, subsequent researches are needed.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.23-30
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• 2005

The mailman's shoes should be designed in due consideration of occupational features they spend most of times to walk. For that reason, the shoes required functions to reduce the foot fatigue and to protect body by dispersing the body weight to the whole foot. In this research, for the functional improvement of the insole, insoles are investigated and analyzed by biomechanics experimentation. Under the base of these experimental results, we develop insoles that can reduce the body load and muscular-skeletal disorder. The pressures are concentrated on the metatarsus and heel by the result of analyzing pressure distributions of the using shoes. Accordingly, we offer the prototype functional insole that is ranked from high pressure to low pressure on the base of a shock absorb function. This prototype functional insole is examined for statistical significance by pressure distribution areas. The experimental results show that pressure areas are dispersed to whole foot, for this reason, pressures of the metatarsus and heel are reduced. Results of this research can not only improve the function of insoles which is suitable for occupational features, but also be a base on constructing data bases for biomechanics gait insoles.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate variables of significantly difference as the structure of the spine, pelvic deviation and foot pressure between undergraduates and golf player subjects. The subjects of study were composed of 20 male golf players and 20 male undergraduates. Both groups were right handed persons. The measurement tools of this study were Formetric 4D(Diers, Germany) which is a three dimensional measure. The result are the follows: there were a significant difference between golf players and general students of trunk imbalance, pelvic tilt, pelvic torsion, pelvic rotation, surface rotation, lumbar lordotic curve, foot pressure(fore & behind foot), weight distribution(right & left foot). In conclusion, golf players might cause transform of spine and foot pressure due to golf exercise for several years. Such as imbalance affect to induce functional impairment and pain of musculoskeletal system, and appropriate evaluation and treatment were necessary for golf players.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2012

This study is for providing fundamental data of sport biomechanics in GRF & plantar pressure of stepping foot of skilled & unskilled players' at the soccer instep shooting moments. Wearing Pedar-x of Novel, the study has drawn the following conclusion after measuring and analyzing the impact on the GRF and plantar pressure of stepping foot at the instep shooting moments. First, maximum vertical GRF showed higher in the skilled group than in the unskilled group. The results showed significantly different. This study reached the conclusion that the players in the skilled group performed faster and stronger stepping foot motions that the ones in the unskilled(p<.01). Second, since the plantar pressure of the skilled group appeared significantly higher than that of the unskilled, it has brought us to the conclusion that the skilled group performed faster and stronger stepping foot motions than the unskilled group (p<.05). Third, at the moment of instep kicking, the skilled group's average maximum plantar foot pressure of stepping foot was higher than the unskilled. Though the difference was not statistically significant, it can be concluded that the skilled group performed faster and stronger stepping foot motions than the unskilled group(p>.05). Fourth, for the COP moving route of stepping foot while instep kicking, the skilled people performed accurate and strong shooting motions directly toward the target direction with stable postures, no matter how it's left, right, front or back.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 2009

It bas been hypothesized that foot ulceration might be internally initiated. Current instruments which merely allow superficial estimate of plantar loading acting on the foot, severely limit the scope of many biomechanical/clinical studies on this issue. Recent studies have suggested that peak plantar pressure may be only 65% specific for the development of ulceration. These limitations are at least partially due to surface pressures not being representative of the complex mechanical stress developed inside the subcutaneous plantar soft-tissue, which are potentially more relevant for tissue breakdown. This study established a three-dimensional and nonlinear finite element model of a human foot complex with comprehensive skeletal and soft-tissue components capable of predicting both the external and internal stresses and deformations of the foot. The model was validated by experimental data of subject-specific plantar foot pressure measures. The stress analysis indicated the internal stresses doses were site-dependent and the observation found a change between 1.5 to 4.5 times the external stresses on the foot plantar surface. The results yielded insights into the internal loading conditions of the plantar soft-tissue, which is important in enhancing our knowledge on the causes of foot ulceration and related stress-induced tissue breakdown in diabetic foot.