• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.45-50
• /
• 2006

Purpose : This study shows the movements of the ankle and the foot in walking stages, and helps to diagnose and treat the problems of the ankle and the foot. The foot in human is a mean of the transportation, body support, and shock absorber. However, the slightest changes in the anatomical position can cause a significant increase of the stress and force in the ankle and the foot. The regular compressive force in the ankle of the normal person is generated by the contraction of the gastrocnemius and popliteus muscles, and transmitted to the achilles tendon. The plantar flexion about 10 degrees occurs immediately after the heel strike, getting ready for the weight acceptance. The shear force about 80 % of the body weight is generated immediately after the heel off of the mid stance phase. In those who have a problem in the ankle, the compression force at the ankle decreased to 1/3 of the body weight, and the shear force decreased, and the compressive force was reached at their maximum level earlier than the normal people. Conclusion : Analysis of the movements at the ankle and the foot in walking phase can make the effort to diagnose and treat the ankle and foot with the problems. However, the further study is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.8-15
• /
• 2018

Ankle osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that causes severe pain associated with functional impairment and decreased activity. Ankle osteoarthritis, unlike that of the knee or hip joint, is rare in primary arthritis. Most cases are traumatic arthritis that occur after ankle sprain or fractures or chronic ankle instability. Although ankle fusion has been regarded as the standard treatment of ankle osteoarthritis in the past, total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is increasing due to the development of the implant design and surgical techniques. TAA is biomechanically superior to ankle fusion by preserving the movement of the ankle joint. In particular, it is functionally superior to ankle fusion because it enables normal joint motion during gait. In addition, there is an advantage of preserving the movement of the hindfoot and reducing the abnormal stress applied to the adjacent joints after ankle fusion to prevent the occurrence of long-term adjacent joint arthritis. Although the short-term and mid-term results of TAA have been reported to be excellent, long-term follow-up has a relatively low survival rate and high complication rate compared to total knee or hip arthroplasty. Therefore, continuous and further research is needed.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.147-154
• /
• 2021

One of the most challenging issues when robots interact with the environment is to establish contact quickly and avoid high impact force at the same time. The proposed method implements the passive suspension system using the redundancy of the torque-controlled robot. Instead of utilizing the actual mechanical compliance, the distal joints near the end-effector are controlled to act as a virtual spring-damper system with low feedback gains. The proximal joints are precisely controlled to push the mid-link, which is defined as the boundary link between the proximal and distal joints, towards the environment with high feedback gains. Compared to the active compliance methods, the contact force measurements or estimates are not required for contact establishment and the control time delay problems do not occur correspondingly. The proposed method was applied to the landing foot control of the 12-DoF biped robot DYROS-RED in the simulations. In the results, the impact force during landing was significantly reduced at the same collision speed.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.105-112
• /
• 2022

Objective: Nonspecific low back pain (NS-LBP) causes pain and disability, affecting the neuromuscular system and altering gait patterns. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of improvement of low back pain symptoms through physical therapy on foot pressure and spatiotemporal gait parameters. Design: A pilot study. Methods: Participants received manual therapy and supervised therapeutic exercise, which consisted of 12 sessions for 6 weeks. Participants were assessed for pain intensity (a numeric pain rating scale), disability index (oswestry disability index), and spatiotemporal gait parameters before and after intervention. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the before-and-after differences in a single group. Results: All seven NS-LBP patients completed the study without dropout. After six weeks of physical therapy, the numeric pain rating scale and oswestry disability index showed significant improvement (Z= -2.388, P=0.017). There was no significant improvement in both static and dynamic conditions in foot pressure (P>0.05). However, in the spatiotemporal gait parameters, there were significant differences in all variables except the right stance phase and left mid stance (P<0.05). Conclusions: In our pilot study, 12 sessions of physical therapy in NS-LBP patients improved gait quilty in spatiotemporal gait parameters. Similarly, it has resulted in clinically positive improvements in pain and disability.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.68-73
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study compared the clinical outcomes of open repair, percutaneous repair, and minimal incision repair by Achillon in ruptured Achilles tendon. Materials and Methods: The outcomes of 12 patients with open repair (group 1), 8 patients with percutaneous repair (group 2), and 10 patients with minimal incision repair by Achillon (group 3) from February 2013 to March 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The postoperative clinical evaluations were done by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, Arner-Linholm scale, mid-calf circumference difference, one-leg heel raise difference, visual analogue scale (VAS) for postoperative scarring, time to return to work, and complications. Results: No significant difference in the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, Arner-Linholm scale, and time to return to work was observed among three groups (p=0.968, 0.509, and 0.585). The mean differences in the mid-calf circumference in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 1.09, 0.73, and 0.58, respectively; groups 2 and 3 were significantly higher than group 1 (p=0.002). In addition, the mean VAS scores for postoperative scarring in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 7.0, 9.1, and 9.1, respectively; groups 2 and 3 were significantly higher than group 1 (p=0.001). The mean differences in one-leg heel raising in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2.03, 1.91, and 1.33, respectively; group 3 was significantly higher than groups 1 and 2 (p=0.010). The complications encountered were one case of deep infection in group 1 and one case of sural nerve hypoesthesia in group 2. Conclusion: Minimal incision repair by Achillon is recommended as an effective surgical treatment for Achilles tendon rupture because it minimizes the risk of complications, leads to an improved tendon strength and healing, and achieves cosmetic satisfaction.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2002

In this study, a stress analysis is made fur an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) in the view point of structural stability. The investigated AFO is a solid and standard type. To analyze the stress distribution on the neck of AFO, the maximum AFO angular translation data is obtained by gait analysis. The material test of polypropylene is made to obtain the mechanical properties of AFO. The maximum dorsiflexion appears at the midstance in the gait analysis. The experimental angular translation at the top of AFO is about 10.3$^{\circ}$ at mid stance. Three models of AFO with different width of neck are made and analyzed with ABAQUS 6.1. The stress levels and distributions of 3 different width(W$_1$, W$_2$=0.85W$_1$, W$_3$=0.60W$_1$) AFO are investigated. As a result, the standard type(W$_1$) appears to the maximum stresses at the medial edge of cutout area surrounding ankle joint. The maximum stresses of the narrower type(W$_2$) are occured on medial edge and center of ankle. The narrowest type(W$_3$) appears to the maximum stresses at center of ankle. The maximum stresses become smaller as ankle width of AFO is narrower.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2009

Purpose: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the treatment results of chronic Achilles tendon rupture by Lindholm method. Materials and Methods: Between 2002 and 2006, we performed the reconstruction of the Achilles tendon by using of the gatrocnemius-sloeus fascia known as Lindholm method. Ten cases of ten patients were enrolled in this study (8 men and 2 women). The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 49 years (range, 32${\sim}$66 years). The mean follow-up duration was 15.2 months (range, 12${\sim}$19 months). The retrospective review of the clinical history, physical examination, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score were conducted. Results: The mean AOFAS score before surgery was 74.10${\pm}$2.56 and that of the latest follow-up was 90.60${\pm}$5.72. The excellent results were six and good results were four patients. Eight patients were normal triceps power and the others were good. The average of heel to floor distance was 4.5 mm less in the operated legs than the contralateral ones in each patient, but there was no significant difference (p>0.05). The average of calf muscle circumference in the mid-leg was 7.5 mm less in the operated legs than the contralateral ones and there was significant difference (p<0.05). The active range of motion of the ankles, mean plantarflexion was 40 degrees and dorsiflexion was 16.8 degrees in operated side. The contralateral side was 43 degrees in plantarflexion and 19 degrees in dorsiflexion. No case showed rerupture of the reconstructed Achilles tendon. One patient had the superficial wound infection which was treated successfully by antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: It was suggested that the overall results of Lindholm method for the chronic Achilles tendon rupture indicated satisfactory outcomes.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.12 no.9
• /
• pp.926-934
• /
• 2006

This paper proposes intelligent control of a virtual walking machine that can generate infinite floor for various surfaces and can provide proprioceptive feedback of walking to a user. This machine allows users to participate in a life-like walking experience in virtual environments with various terrains. The controller of the machine is implemented hierarchically, at low-level for robust actuator control, at mid-level fur platform control to compensate the external forces by foot contact, and at high-level control for generating walking trajectory. The high level controller is suggested to generate continuous walking on an infinite floor for various terrains. For the high level control, each independent platform follows a man foot during the swing phase, while the other platform moves back during single stance phase. During double limb support, two platforms manipulate neutral positions to compensate the offset errors generated by velocity changes. This control can, therefore, satisfy natural walking conditions in any direction. Transition phase between the swing and the stance phases is detected by using simple switch sensor system, while human foot motions are sensed by careful calibration with a magnetic motion tracker attached to the shoe. Experimental results of walking simulations at level ground, slope, and stairs, show that with the proposed machine, a general person can walk naturally on various terrains with safety and without any considerable disturbances. This interface can be applied to various areas such as VR navigations, rehabilitation, and gait analysis.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 2001

Treatment of calcaneal fraclure is difficult and full of controversy still and choice of treatment of the displaced intracalcaneal fracture is not available yet. Furthermore, the treatment of old calcaneal fracture with displaced subtalar joint or malunited calcaneal fracture is really difficult and painful to solve the problem other than subtalar arthrodesis, ignoring conservative treatment, excision of bone mass and/or adhesiolysis, which is/are a kind of palliative or salvage treatment in stead of definitive treatment that restores smooth articular surface of the subtalar joint as far as we can. Authors had some experiences treating this difficult old and displaced calcaneal fractures. Some of them were malunited already. Hereby we report our favorable results to treat the fractures with surgical reduction (reconstruction) and internal fixation without bone graft. We recommend reconstruction of the displaced subtalar joint even though it is not congruent and partly gone to get subtalar motion insead of palliative operation such as subtalar fusion, which can be done later and long term potential cause of mid tarsal arthrosis of the foot.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.229-235
• /
• 2007

Two euplotid ciliates collected from the estuarine littorals in Korea were identified as Euplotes vannus ($M\ddot{u}ller$, 1786) and E. parawoodruffi Song and Bradbury, 1997. These species are reported taxonomically for the first time from Korea. These two species are redescribed with illustrations, photos and biometry based on live and silver impregnated specimens. Diagnostics of each species are as follows. E. vannus: size in vivo $94-111{\times}55-75{\mu}m$ (average $103{\times}60{\mu}m)$, adoral zone of membranelles (AZM) 70% of cell length with 57-74 adoral membranelles (AM) and terminating close to hook-shape, macronucleus (Ma) C-shaped with twisted foot-like, 10 frontoventral (FVC), 5 transverse (TC), 4-7 (average 5) caudal cirri (CC), 9-10 dorsal kineties (DK), mid dorsal kinety with 15-22 cilia; silver-line system single vannus type. E. parawoodruffi: size in vivo $125-163{\times}72-100{\mu}m$, (average $141{\times}87{\mu}m$), dorsally strongly arched, body shaped reserved triangular. AZM 67-83% of cell length with 60-85 AMs, 9 FVC, 5 TC, 4 CC, 9 DK; mid-dorsal kinety with 20-30 cilia, double-eurystomus type, T-shaped Ma with equal sized right and left arms or right arm shortened slightly.