• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.157-164
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to report the current trends in the management of the hallux valgus (HV) deformity over the last few decades through a survey of the Korean Foot and Ankle Society (KFAS) members. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire containing 34 questions was sent to all KFAS members in September 2021. The questions were mainly related to the preferred techniques and clinical experience in correction in patients with an HV deformity. Answers with a prevalence of ≥50% of respondents were considered a tendency. Results: One hundred and nine (19.8%) of the 550 members responded to the survey. The most common symptom for determining surgical treatment was bunion pain (68.8%), and different surgical techniques were selected according to the following radiological parameters: HV angle 30 to 40 degrees and intermetatarsal angle 15 to 20 degrees. The two procedures most preferred by the respondents were distal chevron osteotomy (55.0%), and proximal chevron osteotomy (21.1%). In an average of 71.6% of respondents, Arkin osteotomy was performed simultaneously during HV surgery. HV accompanied by an overriding deformity of the second toe was most often addressed with a combination of second metatarsal osteotomy and soft tissue rebalancing procedure (35.8%). After HV surgery, the recurrence rate of HV deformity was found to be 12.2% on average and the surgeons who had performed minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for HV comprised 34.9% of the total respondents. Conclusion: This study provides updated information on the current trends in the management of the HV deformity in Korea. Both consensus and variation in the approach to patients with HV were identified by this survey study. Although MIS for HV has increased, it appears the consensus for selecting this method has not yet been established.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2023

Purpose: Hallux valgus (HV) is one of the most common chronic foot disorders, occurring when the first toe deviates laterally toward the other toe. HV impairs muscle strength and affects gait function (postural sway and gait speed). Thus, this study aims to investigate using the FDM system the effect of wearing braces on gait while wearing a virtual reality (VR) device. Methods: This study was conducted on 28 healthy adults with HV of 15 degrees or more. To compare differences in walking, depending on whether a toe brace can be worn, the subject walked without wearing anything, walked after wearing the VR device, and walked after wearing the VR device and the toe brace, and the FDM system was used for the gait ability measurement analysis. Results: As a result of a one-way repeated analysis of variance, the walking speed-related variables (cadence, velocity, etc.) in the HV group were higher during comfortable walking. In addition, walking while wearing a VR device and walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace demonstrated more significant values in terms of six gait parameters (double stance phase, loading response, stage, stage, stage, and stage). The maximum pressure of the forefoot was significantly reduced when walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace compared to comfortable walking, but in all variables, there was no statistically significant difference between walking while wearing a VR device and walking while wearing a VR device and a toe brace. Conclusion: Orthosis with a VR device during gait (OVG) and gait with a VR device (GVR) affect gait in HV patients. However, there was no significant difference between GVR and OVG. Thus, it is necessary to conduct experiments on various HV angles and increase the duration of wearing the toe brace.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2024

Purpose: Foot pressure measurement devices are used widely in clinical settings for plantar pressure assessments. Despite the availability of various devices, studies evaluating the inter-device reliability are limited. This study compared plantar pressure measurements obtained from HR Mat (Tekscan Inc.) and EMED-n50 (Novel GmbH). Materials and Methods: The study involved 38 healthy male volunteers. The participants were categorized into two groups based on the Meary's angle in standing foot lateral radiographs: those with normal feet (angles ranging from -4° to 4°) and those with mild flatfeet (angles from -8° to -15°). The static and dynamic plantar pressures of the participants were measured using HR Mat and EMED-n50. The reliability of the contact area and mean force was assessed using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Furthermore, the differences in measurements between the two devices were examined, considering the presence of mild flatfoot. Results: The ICC values for the contact area and mean force ranged from 0.703 to 0.947, indicating good-to-excellent reliability across all areas. EMED-n50 tended to record higher contact areas than HR Mat. The mean force was significantly higher in the forefoot region when measured with EMED-n50, whereas, in the hindfoot region, this difference was observed only during static measurements with HR Mat. Participants with mild flatfeet exhibited significantly higher contact areas in the midfoot region for both devices, with no consistent differences in the other parameters. Conclusion: The contact area and mean force measurements of the HR Mat and EMED-n50 showed high reliability. On the other hand, EMED-n50 tended to record higher contact areas than HR Mat. In cases of mild flatfoot, an increase in contact area within the midfoot region was observed, but no consistent impact on the differences between the two devices was evident.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.781-790
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• 2024

As modern people's interest in exercise and health increases, the demand for exercise-related information and devices is increasing, and exercising in the wrong posture can lead to body imbalance and injury. Therefore, in this study, the purpose of this study is to correct the posture for health promotion and injury prevention through the correct exercise posture of users. It was developed using Arduino Uno R3, a pressure sensor, and an acceleration sensor as the main memory device of the system. The pressure sensor was used to determine the squat posture, and the acceleration sensor was used to determine three types of gait: normal step, nasolabial step, and saddle step. Data is transmitted to a smartphone through a Bluetooth module and displayed on an app to guide the user in the correct exercise posture. The gait was determined based on the 20˚ angle at which the foot was opened, and the correct squat posture was compared with the ratio of the pressure sensor values of the forefoot and hindfoot based on the data of the skilled person. Therefore, based on an experiment with about 90% accuracy when determining gait and 95% accuracy based on a 7:3 ratio of pressure sensor values in squat posture, a system was established to guide users to exercise in the correct posture by checking in real time through a smartphone application and correcting exercise in the wrong posture.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.139-146
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• 2009

This study was designed to examine the effect of aroma massage therapy on lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients. Methods: A total of thirty-six terminal cancer patients with lower extremity edema were divided into two groups: the aroma massage group received massage with blending oil which was applied from toes to 10 cm above the knee of the subject for 15 to 20 minutes in each turn, while the control group received sham aroma massage (applied with carrier oil only). The circumferences of the fore-foot, ankle and calf were measured before massage and 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 12 hours after massage. The blood pressure, pulse and body temperature were also measured to find the change of subject's physiologic conditions. Results: There were no significant differences in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and lower extremity circumferences between two groups. However, edema at each site was slightly improved in the treatment group after the aroma massage therapy, compared to baseline data (P<0.05). In addition, the reduction of lower extremity circumference was maximal at 2 hours in foot, 30 min in right ankle and 12 hours in right calf after aroma massage therapy (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that aroma massage therapy is not effective on the lower extremity edema of terminal cancer patients.