• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 2014

As S. Korea is becoming an "aged society", workers in the country would be exposed to higher risk of workplace injuries due to their reducing work abilities as they are getting old. To identify the relationship between the work ability and the incident rate of workplace injuries, the work ability index (WAI) scores were surveyed from 409 workers occupied in different manufacturing industries reside on north GyoengBuk area. The workplace injury statistics in the year of 2010 for the corresponding industries were analyzed and summarized with the WAI scores by age groups, years of service, and sizes of business. The results showed the WAI scores of the workers occupied in the higher risk of workplace injury was lower than that of the workers of the lower risk. It means the lower the WAI score, the higher the chance of being injured during the task. It is concluded that appropriate correlation exists between the WAI scores of workers and the incident rate of workplace injury. It is recommended to administrate individual work abilities of aged workers in order to keep low rate of workplace injuries in upcoming aged and highly aged society.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.760-763
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• 2022

The dorsal metacarpal artery perforator flap is a flap that rises from the hand dorsum. Owing to its reliability and versatility, this flap is used as a workhorse for finger defect. However, to cover the radial-volar defect of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) of the index finger, a longer flap is required than before. Here, we introduce the oblique extended reverse first dorsal metacarpal artery (FDMA) perforator flap to cover the radial-volar aspect defect of the index finger. A 45-year-old man got injured to the radial-volar defect of PIPJ of the left index finger caused by thermal press machine. The wound was 2 × 1 cm in size, and the joint and bone were exposed. We used FDMA perforator from anastomosis with palmar metacarpal artery at metacarpal neck. Since the defect was extended to the volar side, the flap was elevated by oblique extension to the fourth metacarpal base level. The fascia was included to the flap, and the flap was rotated counterclockwise. Finally, PIPJ was fully covered by the flap. Donor site was primarily closed. After 12 months of operation, the flap was stable without complication and limitation of range of motion. The oblique extended reverse FDMA perforator flap is a reliable method for covering the radial-volar defect of the PIPJ of the index finger. This flap, which also has an aesthetic advantage, will be a good choice for hand surgeons who want to cover the PIPJ defect of the index finger using a nonmicrosurgical option.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise intensity and initial timing on functional recovery following sciatic nerve injury in rats. METHODS: Total of 80 Sprague-Dawley rats was used and randomly divided 6 groups. Under deep anesthesia, the sciatic nerve was nipped by adapted hemostatic tweezers for 30 seconds and the injured nerve was transparent under naked eyes. Acute exercise groups was applied treadmill after sciatic nerve crush injury during 5days with three type intensity. Late exercise groups was also applied treadmill during 5 days with three type intensity after 5 days break. Values of sciatic functional index were measured and analyzed in each group after exercise period. RESULTS: The sciatic functional index values between control groups 1, acute low-intensity group, acute middle-intensity group in acute phase showed statistical significant (p<.05). The sciatic functional index values between control groups 2, late low-intensity group, late middle-intensity group and late high-intensity in late phase showed statistical significant (p<.05). The comparison in acute and late phase, sciatic functional index values of each low-intensity group and each high-intensity group showed statistical significant (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Whether at acute or late phase, treadmill exercise as a therapy obtained beneficial effects of functional recovery and exercise training at low speed is more beneficial effects on the recovery of motor function in acute phase.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 1996

We studied the degree of damage of trees which have been chronically damaged by environmental pollutants and the area of damaged stands in each region of the middle part of Korea with three tree species - Picea abies, Abies holophylla and Pinus densiflora. So as to diagnose the degree of tree damage in an early stage, We investigated injury index and measured contact angle and finally got the following results; 1) Visible and physiological damage such as the increase of injury index and the decrease of contact angle was serious centering around metropolitan cities live Seoul and Inchon; 2) The trees of all of 14 sites surveyed were damaged by environmental pollutants although there was difference to some extent among sites. Especially, the degree of damage appeared to be increased gradually in the western parts along including Inchon, the seacoasts. In fact, more systematic studies for this issue should be continued in other regions and countermeasures should be devised.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.144-149
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• 2017

Background The purpose of this study was to identify the epidemiologic characteristics of hand tendon injuries in children and to compare these with those of adults. Methods This retrospective study was conducted on acute traumatic tendon injuries of the hand treated at our institution from 2005 to 2013, based on medical records and X-ray findings. Age, sex, hand injured, mechanism of injury, tendons and zones injured, number of affected digits, and comorbidities and complications were analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: a pediatric group (${\leq}15years$) and an adult group (>15 years). Results Over the 9-year study period, 533 patients were surgically treated for acute traumatic tendon injuries of the hand. In the pediatric group (n=76), being male, the right hand, the extensor tendon, complete rupture, the middle finger, and glass injury predominated in hand tendon injuries. In the adult group (n=457), results were similar, but injury to the index finger and knife injury were the most common. An accompanying fracture was more common in the adult group and complication rates were non-significantly different. Conclusions This comparative analysis revealed no significant epidemiologic intergroup differences. The belief that pediatric tendon injuries tend to be less severe is misplaced, and careful physical examination and exploration should be conducted in pediatric cases of hand injury.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

This research has been studied through the actual conditional investigation about street monitoring from January to December of 2013 in Seoul city primally. As the result of this research, it has been performed aleady the Seoul city's BIS (Balanced Index Score) goal of 2013. The 18,490 cases were reported through the street monitoring activities. Despite of increasing drastically for 1,151 cases's record of 2012, Street monitoring activity appeared wide variations in the region, ages, vocation and gender. Also it depended on 25 outstanding persons of merely 3.9%. They reported 13,880 cases that run to 75.1%. On the basis of Herbert W. Heinrich's Domino theory and law of 1:29:300, the dead of 54, seriously and the slightly injured of 1,573 and the latent injured of 16,275 were decreased by eliminating unsafe state. It respected and protected the 17,903 Seoul citizen's life. This study suggested a effective improvemental method of monitoring activity by dawing a problem through Seoul and Gangdong-gu street monitor comparative analysis.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.431-440
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• 2015

This study investigated the correlation between the trees planted on the slope of the first landfill where the landfill was completed and the soil environment. 69 plots (($7{\sim}20m{\times}5{\sim}20m$) were planted with 26 kinds of major trees in the first landfill slopes for vegetation survey. The survey was conducted from 2007 to 2009. Soil analysis from 2007 to 2008 was made on the basis of the injured index and the indicator species were selected. Depending on the rate of growth of the indicator species, seven survey locations were selected for soil sample analysis. 10 tree species appeared to adapt to the landfill environment. Among them, the coniferous trees were Pinus thunbergii (Seedling) and Juniperus chinensis and the deciduous trees were Quercus aliena, Salix preudo-lasiogyne, Castanea crenata (Seedling), Prunus armeniaca var. ansu, Quercus acutissima, Chionanthus retusus, Liriodendron tulipifera (Seedling) and Celtis sinensis. 8 species of trees did not adapt well to the landfill environment. Among them, two kinds were coniferous, the other six kinds were deciduous. In addition, judgment on the other 8 species of trees as to whether they adapted well or not was postponed. The species for which judgment was postponed included one coniferous tree and seven deciduous trees. Indicator species of injured index was the species that have more than 25 % of the defect. The soil was collected from where Catalpa ovata, Sophora japonica, Albizzia julibrissin and Acer palmatum were planted for analysis. According to the soil analysis, the soil pH showed that the soil was alkaline. Regarding the three phases of the soil, most sample soil showed 60 % for the solid phase or 55 % for the solid phase but with less than 10 % of gas phase. The organic matter content was found to be 0.14 to 2.52 %.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.81-90
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• 2003

This study was conducted to assess the effects of the gait training method in incomplete spinal cord injured persons using an auto-walking machine. Persons with incomplete spinal cord injury level C or D on the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale participated for eight weeks in an auto-walking training program. The gait training program was carried out for 15 minutes, three times per day for 8 weeks with an auto-walking machine. The foot rests of the auto-walking machine can be moved forward, downward, backward and upward to make the gait pattern with fixed on crank. The patient's body weight is supported by a harness during waking training. We evaluated the gait speed, physiologic cost index, motor score of lower extremities and the WISCI (walking index for spinal cord injury) level before the training and after the forth and eighth week of walking training. 1. The mean gait speed was significantly increased from .22 m/s at pre-training to .28 m/s after 4 weeks of training and .31 m/s after 8 weeks of training (p=.004). 2. The mean physiologic cost index was decreased from 4.6 beats/min at pre-training to 3.0 beats/min after 4 weeks and 2.0 beats/min after 8 weeks of training, but it was not statistically significant (p=.140). 3. The mean motor score of lower extrernities was significantly increased from 29.8 to 35.8 after 8 weeks of training (p=.043). 4. The mean WISCI level was significantly increased from level 10 to level 19 after 8 weeks of training (p=.007). The results of this study suggest that the gait training program using the auto-walking machine increased the gait speed, muscle strength and galt pattern (WISCI level) in persons with incomplete spinal cord injury. A large, controlled study of this technique is warranted.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.109-118
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• 2015

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the correlation between fear-avoidance beliefs and neck pain/neck disability caused by traffic accidents. Methods : We surveyed 52 patients who were injured in traffic accidents. The patients completed baseline measures of pain, disability, fear-avoidance beliefs according to the visual analogue scale(VAS), neck disability index(NDI) and a fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ). At the end of medical treatment, VAS and NDI were reassessed. In order to determine the relationship between FABQ(including its subscales), change of VAS and NDI, Pearson correlation coefficients were used. To examine the accuracy of previously reported cut-off scores, we classified the patients into low and high groups and analyzed the change of VAS and NDI. The relationship was measured by Mann-Whitney U-test and a student's T-test. Results : FABQ and its subscales(total, physical activity and work) were significantly correlated with final VAS and NDI. FABQ-T showed low significant negative correlation with change of NDI. Previously reported cut-off scores did not show a statistical significance in this study Conclusions : This study suggests that screening for fear-avoidance beliefs may be useful for identifying patients at risk of prolonged pain after traffic accidents.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.240-247
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• 2022

Purpose: Studies on the relationship between obesity and injuries, especially those sustained in pedestrian traffic accidents, are lacking. We aimed to assess the effects of obesity on the severity of injury at the time of admission to the emergency room in patients who experienced pedestrian traffic accidents. Methods: This study included trauma patients registered in the Korean Trauma Database from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, whose mechanism of injury was pedestrian traffic accidents and who were treated at a single institution. Those aged below 15 years were excluded. Patients were assigned to nonobese and obese groups based on a body mass index of 25 kg/m². An Injury Severity Score of 25 or greater was considered to indicate a critical injury. Results: In total, 679 cases of pedestrian traffic accidents were registered during the study period, and 543 patients were included in the final analysis. Of them, 360 patients (66.3%) and 183 patients (33.7%) were categorized as nonobese and obese, respectively. The median age was significantly higher in the nonobese group than in the obese group (60 vs. 58 years). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the odds ratio for critical injury in obese patients was 1.59 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.48) compared with nonobese patients. Conclusions: Obesity affected the likelihood of sustaining severe injuries in pedestrian traffic accidents. Future studies should analyze the effects of body mass index on the pattern and severity of injuries in patients with more diverse injury mechanisms using large-scale data.