• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2015

In this paper, we propose the robotic arm control method based on upper extremity electromyogram for lower upper extremity amputation patient. The muscle activity of the forearm flexor, forearm extensor and biceps was analyzed to utilize distribution of muscle activity to a specific position in order to the control input. This control input is converted into a control command for controlling the robotic arm through the algorithm. For the experiment and verify the proposed method, 5DoF robotic arm control system was constructed with 1 channel EMG Module and PC applications through the interworking with each module to perform a three-channel EMG analysis. For accuracy and performance evaluation of control, Experiments were performed with robotic arms moving objects. As a result of experiments which after training for 10 hours by middle 20's man, Validity of the proposed method was evaluated based an average accuracy of 92.5%.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.448-452
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• 2022

Total reconstruction of the penis (TPR) represents a challenge for urologists and plastic surgeons, especially when urethral length is severely reduced. We here describe, for the first time in an oncologic scenario, a double flap phalloplasty using a pedicled anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap for penile reconstruction and a radial forearm free flap (RFFF) for complete neourethra and glans reconstruction following penile amputation. A 48-year-old patient came to our department following a total penectomy with inferior urethral derivation. The indication for a double flap phalloplasty was posed as only way to fully reconstruct the urethra on its length avoiding possible complications of single flap reconstruction using tube-into-tube technique. Both flaps healed uneventfully with no neourethral strictures or fistulas described. At 18 months follow-up, the patient was extremely satisfied with the aesthetic result and was able to void in standing position. We think that a double free tissue transfer for TPR should be considered, particularly when a urethral length > 14 cm needs to be reconstructed. While the pedicled ALT can be used to reconstruct a proper penile shaft with an easily concealed scar, the RFFF can provide adequate neourethra length with satisfactory sensory recovery at the neoglans.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2010

Objective. This study was conducted to observe the effect on appendage muscle strength according to increase in occlusal vertical dimension. Materials and methods. Ten males with a mean age of 21 were selected. The tested occlusal splints were made at the position of increased occlusal vertical dimension of 2mm,3.5mm and 5mm from the intercuspal position. Before and after wearing occlusal splints, the appendage muscle strength were tested by Cybex II dynamometer (Lumex Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY, USA). Results. Statistical analysis using the paired t-test revealed significant differences for flexion and extension of the hip, pronation of the forearm, internal rotation of the shoulder, external and internal rotation of the knee, and dorsiflexion and plantarflexion of the ankle (p<0.05). Conclusions. As the result of this study, we conclude that when occlusal vertical dimension was increased, most of mean muscular strength values were increased. Especially at the position of 3.5mm increased vertical dimension displayed the highest mean muscular strength value than other positions.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2023

Background: Scapular dyskinesis may cause not only rotator cuff (RC) tear but also weakness of the upper extremity, studies on scapular dyskinesis that may occur after RC repair is still lacking. Objects: To determine whether scapular dsykinesis was present in patients after arthroscopic RC repair and to investigate the influence of passive scapular stabilization on upper extremity strength. Methods: A total of 30 patients after RC repair participated in this study. To compare the scapula of the arthroscopic RC repair shoulder and the contralateral shoulder, the winged scapula (WS) was measured using a scapulometer and scapular dyskinesis was also classified by type. Fixed instruments for muscle strength measurements were used to measure upper extremity muscle strength differences depending on passive scapular stabilization position or natural scapular position. A chi-square test, an independent t-test and a 2-way mixed measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used as statistical analysis. In analyses, p < 0.05 was deemed to be statistically significant. Results: Postoperative shoulder had a significant association with scapular dyskinesis and the WS compared to the contralateral shoulder (F = 0.052, p < 0.01). Postoperative shoulder, muscle strength in the shoulder abduction (p < 0.01), elbow flexion (p < 0.01) and forearm supination (p < 0.05) were significantly greater in the scapular stabilization position than in the scapular natural position. Conclusion: Patients underwent arthroscopic RC repair had a significant association with scapular dyskinesis and muscle strength was improved by a passive scapular stabilization position, therefore scapular stabilization is important in rehabilitation program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.607-614
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• 2023

Clear overlapping of the bilateral epicondyle and proper separation of the elbow joint are crucial for obtaining accurate lateral general radiographs of the elbow. However, due to the complex anatomical structure of the elbow, achieving optimal positioning is challenging, leading to the need for repeated x-ray examinations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the angle of the forearm in patients where accurate lateral images of the elbow joint can't be obtained after vertical incidence using a styrofoam device during elbow joint lateral x-ray imaging. Twenty patients were enrolled in our study following the established protocol. First, a vertical x-ray at an angle of 0° between the forearm and the table was taken (control group). Here, if the lateral image of the elbow joint was deemed inadequate, the forearm angle was adjusted using custom-made styrofoam supports with 5° and 10° inclinations (experimental groups). For the evaluation method, two assessors utilized a 5-point Likert scale to assess the images. The reliability of the assessments was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. As a result, patients with inadequate overlap of the bilateral epicondyle and separation of the elbow joint in the initial examination (control group) were able to obtain the best images when setting a 10° angle between the forearm and the table. The subjective evaluation was 1.6 ± 0.8 points at 0°, 2.7 ± 0.8 points at 5°, and 4.4 ± 1.3 points at 10°, respectively. The reliability analysis for the angles of 0°, 5°, and 10° yielded Cronbach's alpha values of 0.867, 0.697, and 0.922, respectively. In conclusion, when it is not possible to obtain accurate images using the conventional position and X-ray beam direction, it is considered that by initially acquiring images with an angle of 10° between the forearm and the table, and gradually decreasing the angle while obtaining images, it would be possible to achieve the optimal image while reducing the number of repeat examinations.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2007

Objective: The first aim of this study is to determine the effects of acupuncture on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) via Heart Rate (HR) and Pupil Size (PS), and to compare the effects of acupuncture on the subjects' ANS when they are in a sitting position with the effects when they are in a supine position. Methods: Ten healthy male subjects were randomized to receive either verum acupuncture stimulation in a sitting position (SitV), verum acupuncture stimulation in a supine position (SupV), sham acupuncture stimulation in a sitting position (SitS), and sham acupuncture stimulation in a supine position (SupS). Acupuncture stimulation was applied to Neguan point (PC6) on the forearm. The subject's electrocardiogram (ECG) and pupil size were recorded continuously from 5 min before stimulation to 12 min after stimulation. Results: Verum and sham acupuncture stimulation were found to have reduced heart rate (p<0.01) and to have increased pupil size (p<0.01) in all the subjects. But when the reduction in HR and the increment in PS after verum acupuncture stimulation (both sitting and supine position) were compared with those after sham acupuncture stimulation, it was found that the reduction in HR (74.48 and 73.47 bpm, p<0.063) and the increment of PS (7.32 and, 6.10 mm, p<0.001) after verum acupuncture stimulation were greater than those after sham acupuncture stimulation, and that the corresponding values were statistically significant. In addition, at the baseline, it was found that the subjects had a larger PS and a faster HR in a sitting position than when they did so in a supine position. And then the reduction and increment ratio in the subject's HR and PS when they underwent acupuncture stimulation in a sitting position was significantly different from the reduction and increment in their HR and PS when they underwent the procedure in a supine position-i.e., the reduction ratio in HR was greater when they underwent the procedure in a sitting position, and such reduction ratio was statistically significant (p<0.05). As for the increment in PS, it was greater when the subjects underwent the procedure in a supine position, and such increment was significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Manual acupuncture stimulation on Neguan point (PC6) has more significant influence on the autonomic nervous system rather than sham acupuncture (tactile stimulation). And the position-induced different states of ANS have different influence on the acupuncture effect.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 1998

The following will describe a method of evaluating the SLAP lesion in the recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. We have named it the biceps load test. The biceps load test is performed with the patient in the supine position and the arm to be examined is abducted 90/sup°/, and the forearm is in the supinated position. First, the anterior apprehension test is performed. When the patient become apprehensive, the patient is allowed active flexion of the elbow, while the examiner resists elbow flexion. If the apprehension is relieved or diminished, the test is negative. If aggravated or unchanged, the test is positive. A prospective study was performed, in which 75 patients who were diagnosed as having recurrent unilateral anterior instability of the shoulder underwent the biceps load test and arthroscopic examination. The biceps load test showed negative results in 64 of these patients, of which the superior labral-biceps complex was intact'in 63 cases and only I shoulder revealed a type n SLAP lesion. E]even patients with a positive test were confirmed to have type n SLAP lesions. A positive biceps load test represents an unstable SLAP lesion in a patient with recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. The biceps load test is a reliable test for evaluating the SLAP lesion in the recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder(sensitivity: ,9] .7%, specificity: 100%, positive predictive value: 1.00 and negative predictive value: 0.98). Biceps contraction increases the torsional rigidity ?of the glenohumeral joint and long head of biceps tendan act as internal rotator of the shoulder in the abducted and externally rotated position. These stabilize the shoulder in abduction and external rotation position in the biceps load test.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.156-162
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• 2022

This study estimates the relative position between body segments using segment orientation and segment-to-joint center (S2J) vectors. In many wearable motion tracking technologies, the S2J vector is treated as a constant based on the assumption that rigid body segments are connected by a mechanical ball joint. However, human body segments are deformable non-rigid bodies, and they are connected via ligaments and tendons; therefore, the S2J vector should be determined as a time-varying vector, instead of a constant. In this regard, our previous study (2021) proposed a method for determining the time-varying S2J vector from the learning dataset using a regression method. Because that method uses a deformation-related variable to consider the deformation of S2J vectors, the optimal variable must be determined in terms of estimation accuracy by motion and segment. In this study, we investigated the effects of deformation-related variables on the estimation accuracy of the relative position. The experimental results showed that the estimation accuracy was the highest when the flexion and adduction angles of the shoulder and the flexion angles of the shoulder and elbow were selected as deformation-related variables for the sternum-to-upper arm and upper arm-to-forearm, respectively. Furthermore, the case with multiple deformation-related variables was superior by an average of 2.19 mm compared to the case with a single variable.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.169-183
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• 2003

According to our recent investigation that the increase in the occlusal vertical dimension made the appendage muscle strength got higher, the occlusal appliances were made by increasing the occlusal vertical dimension "from the centric relation" position of the mandible. In this experiment, the authors tried to study the change in the appendage muscle strength due to increase in occlusal vertical dimension from intercuspal position(ICP) of mandible with the same subjects and manner as the former experiment. For this study, ten male athletes in a mean age of 23 year who were joined the former study were selected. All the subjects had a complete or almost complete set of natural teeth and reported no subjective symptoms of temporomandibular disorders. Upper and lower casts were mounted on the semi-adjustable articulator at the intercuspal position and a point was marked on the attached gingival area between the right canine and the right 1st. premolar in each upper and lower cast. From the points, the occlusal vertical dimension was increased by 2mm, 3.5mm and 5mm, and then each 10 maxillary type occlusal splint at each 3-increased position were fabricated with heat curing clear acrylic resin. Including the intercuspal position, the 3 kinds of occlusal splints were placed on the subjects individually, and then isokinetic muscle strength on 7 parts of the human appendage which are shoulder, knee, ankle, wrist, forearm, elbow and hip was measured with the CYBEX 6000 SYSTEM (Lumex, NewYork, USA). The results were as follows: The highest mean value in muscular strength was shown at the position of 2mm-increased vertical dimension. The muscle strength during internal/external rotation of shoulder and knee, plantarflexion of ankle, flexion of elbow, and flexion and extension of hip at the increased occlusal vertical dimension position were significantly higher than them at the intercuspal position (p<0.05). Only in view of the increase in the appendage muscle strength, regardless of the way of making the occlusal splints by elevating the occlusal vertical dimension from the centric relation position or intercuspal position, the occlusal splints had an effect on the increase of isokinetic muscle strength at the occlusal vertical dimension which increased within the proper range on the habitual arc of closure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1944-1947
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• 2005

In this paper, the control of a prosthetic arm using the flex sensor signal is described. The flex sensors are attached to the biceps and triceps brchii muscle. The signals are passed a differential amplifier and noise filter. And then the signals are converted to digital data by PCI 6036E ADC. From the data, position and velocity of arm joint are obtained. Also motion of the forearm - flexion and extension, the pronation and supination are abstracted from the data by proposed algorithm. A two D.O.F arm with RC servo-motor is designed for experiment. The arm length is 200 mm, weight is 4.5 N. The rotation angle of elbow joint is $120^{\circ}$. Also the rotation angle of the wrist is $180^{\circ}$. Through the experiment, we verified the possibility of the prosthetic arm control using the flex sensor signal. We will try to improve the control accuracy of the prosthetic arm continuously.