• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.11-19
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of balance and gait when simultaneous application of Kinesio Taping on the lower extremities is done to improve the pattern of hemiplegic patients asymmetric lower extremity. Methods: This study was performed with 7 patients who have hemiplegia symptoms due to stoke. The taping on the paralyzed side was done on tibialis anterior, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and psoas major and the taping on the unparalyzed side was done on the calf muscle and quadriceps. Berg Balance Scale(BBS) and Time Up and Go Test(TUG) was used to assessment the balance and gait of the patient after the kinesio taping was done on the lower extremities. The results of the test was analyzed by Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test on SPSS(Ver. 10.1). Results: When the taping was done on the paralyzed side, there was a significant improvement of balance and gait in BBS and TUG. When the taping was done on the lower extremities, it showed significant improvement of balance and gait, compared to when the taping was only done on the paralyzed side, according to BBS and TUG. Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the simultaneous taping of the lower extremities of the hemiplegic patients improves balance and gait by improving the pattern of patients lower extremities.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.433-439
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Visual information is one of the most important factors for postural balance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of visual deprivation on the lower extremities and trunk muscle activity on an unstable surface during quiet standing. Methods: Fifteen healthy males from a university population participated in this study. Surface electromyography of the rectus abdominis, the erector spinalis, the vastus femoris oblique, the semitendinosis, the tibialis anterior, and the medial gastrocnemius was measured using EMG equipment (Telemyo 2400, Noraxon, USA). The participants were asked to maintain postural balance on an unstable surface (Balance pad, Airex, USA) for 30 seconds with eyes open and with eyes closed during quiet standing. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the muscle activity of the lower extremities and the trunk between open and closed eyes on an unstable surface. Results: The muscle activity of the trunk and the lower extremities was increased more with eyes closed than with eyes open on the unstable surface during quiet standing. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that visual information could alter lower extremity and trunk muscle activity. Therefore, visual deprivation can be used as a method to improve postural balance.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.46-56
• /
• 2019

Background When performing lymphovenous anastomosis, it is sometimes difficult to find venules in the proximity of an ideal lymphatic vessel that have a similar diameter to that of the lymphatic vessel. In this situation, larger venules can be used. Methods The authors evaluated the efficacy of and patient satisfaction with lymphovenous bypass with sleeve-in anastomosis. Between January 2014 and December 2016, we performed this procedure in 18 patients (eight upper extremities and 10 lower extremities) with secondary lymphedema. Lymphovenous bypass with sleeve-in anastomosis was performed under microscopy after injecting indocyanine green dye. The circumferential diameter was measured before lymphovenous bypass and at 1, 2, and 6 months after the procedure. An outcomes survey that included patients' qualitative satisfaction with lymphovenous bypass was conducted at 6 months postoperatively. Results Almost all patients showed quantitative improvements after surgery. The circumferential reduction rate in patients with stage II lymphedema of both the upper and lower extremities was significantly greater than in their counterparts with stage III/IV lymphedema. The circumferential reduction rate was lower in lower-extremity patients than in upper-extremity patients. Conclusions Lymphovenous bypass surgery with sleeve-in anastomosis in lymphedema patients is beneficial, and appears to be effective, when adequately-sized venules cannot be found in the proximity of an ideal lymphatic vessel.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.730-738
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating effect of depression in the relationship between muscle strength of extremities and falls among community-dwelling elderly. Methods: Two hundred forty-seven participants were recruited from a public health center, a hall for the aged and a school for the aged in B city. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using questionnaires from May to September of 2007. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression using the SPSS WIN 14.0 program. Results: There was a significantly negative relationship between muscle strength of lower extremities and falls, muscle strength of left upper extremity and falls, and muscle strength of right upper extremity and falls. Depression positively correlated with falls. Depression showed mediating effects between muscle strength of extremities and falls. Weakness of muscle strength of extremities increased depression and the increased depression increased the frequencies of falls. Conclusion: For the effective management and prevention of community-dwelling older adults' falls, exercise programs including depression-decreasing strategies should be established. These exercise programs can decrease depression which is the mediator role between the degrees of muscle strength of extremities and falls.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.232-237
• /
• 2007

Introduction: To report the result of the thigh perforator free flap for the reconstruction of the soft tissue defect of the lower extremities and usefulness of this flap. Materials and Methods: We have performed 23 cases of thigh perforator free flap to reconstruct the soft tissue defect of the lower extremities between February 2004 and July 2005. The anterior aspect of the legs were 9 cases, the ankle joints were 4 cases, the dorsal aspect of the feet were 6 cases, the sole of the feet were 4 cases as recipient sites. The anterolateral thighs were 13 cases, the anteromedial thighs were 10 cases as donor sites. The size of the flap ranged from $4{\times}5\;cm$ to $12{\times}18\;cm$. The mean flap area was $73.2\;cm^2$. The length of the pedicle ranged from 5 cm to 15 cm. Every patient except children was operated under the spinal anesthesia. Results: 21 flaps (91.3%) survived, 2 flaps (8.7%) failed. In the 21 flaps that had survived, there were partial necrosis in 4 cases, which healed without any additional operation. In the 13 anterolateral thigh perforator flaps, 9 cases survived totally, 3 cases had the partial necrosis, 1 case failed. In the 10 anteromedial thigh perforator flaps, 8 cases survived totally, 1 case had the partial necrosis, 1 case failed. Conclusion: The authors had a good result with the thigh perforator free flap and believe that this flap is a good option for the reconstruction of the soft tissue defect of the lower extremities, because this flap has a thin thickness and it is easy to dissect the vessels. Moreover the patients can be operated with supine position.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.84-87
• /
• 2000

The periodic limb movement (PLM) disorder is a disease of motor sign mainly in the lower extremities, whereas the restless leg syndrome (RLS) accompanies sensory symptoms in the lower extremities. These two disorders may occur in the one patient, which implies possible common pathophysiological background in those disorders. The aim of this article is to review the clinical features, diagnostic criteria, electrophysiological characteristics of the two disorders and their relation to neurological disorders.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2011.06a
• /
• pp.1389-1390
• /
• 2011

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.63 no.5
• /
• pp.649-656
• /
• 2020

Objective : Unclear mental state is one of the major factors contributing to diagnostic failure of occult skeletal trauma in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the overlooked co-occurring skeletal trauma through whole body bone scan (WBBS) in TBI. Methods : A retrospective study of 547 TBI patients admitted between 2015 and 2017 was performed to investigate their cooccurring skeletal injuries detected by WBBS. The patients were divided into three groups based on the timing of suspecting skeletal trauma confirmed : 1) before WBBS (pre-WBBS); 2) after the routine WBBS (post-WBBS) with good mental state and no initial musculoskeletal complaints; and 3) after the routine WBBS with poor mental state (poor MS). The skeletal trauma detected by WBBS was classified into six skeletal categories : spine, upper and lower extremities, pelvis, chest wall, and clavicles. The skeletal injuries identified by WBBS were confirmed to be simple contusion or fractures by other imaging modalities such as X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scans. Of the six categorizations of skeletal trauma detected as hot uptake lesions in WBBS, the lesions of spine, upper and lower extremities were further statistically analyzed to calculate the incidence rates of actual fractures (AF) and actual surgery (AS) cases over the total number of hot uptake lesions in WBBS. Results : Of 547 patients with TBI, 112 patients (20.4 %) were presented with TBI alone. Four hundred and thirty-five patients with TBI had co-occurring skeletal injuries confirmed by WBBS. The incidences were as follows : chest wall (27.4%), spine (22.9%), lower extremities (20.2%), upper extremities (13.5%), pelvis (9.4%), and clavicles (6.3%). It is notable that relatively larger number of positive hot uptakes were observed in the groups of post-WBBS and poor MS. The percentage of post-WBBS group over the total hot uptake lesions in upper and lower extremities, and spines were 51.0%, 43.8%, and 41.7%, respectively, while their percentages of AS were 2.73%, 1.1%, and 0%, respectively. The percentages of poor MS group in the upper and lower extremities, and spines were 10.4%, 17.4%, and 7.8%, respectively, while their percentages of AS were 26.7%, 14.2%, and 11.1%, respectively. There was a statistical difference in the percentage of AS between the groups of post-WBBS and poor MS (p=0.000). Conclusion : WBBS is a potential diagnostic tool in understanding the skeletal conditions of patients with head injuries which may be undetected during the initial assessment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.50-54
• /
• 1976

Erythermalgia has typical triad of burning pain, redness and localized elevation of body temperature at the involved extremities and according to the etiolgy it can be divided as primary (unknown) and secondary erythermalgia. One case of typical primary erythermalgia involving both lower extremities in 20 year old male patient was reported with dramatic symptomatic improvement for 4 months after bilateral lumbar sympathectomy. And there was another case of primary erythermalgia involving both upper and lower extremities in 12 year old girl, and all the symptoms and signs were disappeared about one week later with combined bilateral thoracic and lumbar sympathectomy. It is considered the first case of primary erythermalgia treated completely with sympathectomy in Korea.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.14-17
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Authors have performed free tissue transplantation in the upper and lower extremities with sensory flaps and evaluated the sensory function recovery. Materials and methods: Between 1992 through 2004, sensory free flap articles published in the journal of the Korean microsurgical society, were reviewed and recovery of sensory function was assessed by static two-point discrimination test. Results: Static two point discrimination test showed average 6.7 mm in the thumb, average 12 mm in the hand and 7 cm of the dorsalis pedis flap, 20.5 mm of the lateral arm flap and over 8 cm of the forearm flap in the foot. Conclusion: Sensory flaps provide the protective and useful coverage in the upper and lower extremities and have benefit for activities for daily life in free tissue transferred patients.