• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.3991-3998
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to effect of muscle activity on muscle architectural of medial gastrocnemius in chronic stroke patient based on ankle joint degree. The subjects of this study were 10 chronic stroke patients modified Ashworth scale(MAS) 2. Ultrasonographic and dynamometer was measured during resting and maximum voluntary isometric contraction(MVIC) on muscle thickness, pennation angle, fascicle length, MVIC. Result from analysis showed that muscle thickness was thinner in the paretic side than in the non-paretic side(p<.001) and the more plantarflexion increased, the thinner muscle thickness became. And at the time of resting rather than of MVIC significant(p<.001). Result from analysis showed that penneation angle was smaller in the paretic side than in the non-paretic side(p<.001) and the more plantarflexion increased, the larger pennation became. And at the time of resting rather than of MVIC significant(p<.001). Result from analysis showed that fascicle was shorter in the paretic side than in the non-paretic side(p<.001) and the more plantarflexion increased, the shorter fascicle length became. And at the time of resting rather than of MVIC significant(p<.001). The results of this study showed that effect of muscle activity on muscle architectural of medial gastrocnemius in chronic stroke patient based on ankle joint degree. Therefore, Ultrasonographic evaluation of chronic stroke patients according ankle joint degree and muscle activity in the clinical diagnosis and therapy is considered a very useful data.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.5867-5874
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to find on muscle architectural and tissue compliance of biceps brachii in stroke patient based on elbow joint angle. The subjects of this study were twelve hemiplegic adults after stroke with passive range of motion in the elbow from $10^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$ and Modified Ashworth Scale score 1 to 3 were recruited. Ultrasonography and Myotonometer was used to measure biceps brachii muscle pennation angle, fascicle length, and tissue compliance at the rest condition and pennation angle, fascicle length, and tissue compliance of the biceps brachii muscle were measured in the affected and unaffected sides of people after stroke at 9 different elbow angles ranging from $10^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$ at the rest condition. The results of this study, comparisons found that the pennation angles of the affected biceps brachii muscle were significantly larger(p<.05) than the unaffected muscle in the most extended positions($<40^{\circ}$), whereas the affected fascicle lengths were significantly shorter(p<.05) than the unaffected muscle in most flexed positions($>20^{\circ}$), and the affected tissue compliance were significantly lower(p<.05) than the unaffected muscle in most extended positions($<50^{\circ}$) Therefore, pennation angles, fascicle lengths, and tissue compliance were found to be joint-angle-dependent in both the affected and unaffected sides at the rest condition. Suggest that, the results data can be used as a muscle architectural changes and clinical treatment research in stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2022

Background: The gastrocnemius tightness can easily occur. Gastrocnemius tightness results in gait disturbance. Thus, various interventions have been used to release a tight gastrocnemius muscle and improve gait performance. Moreover, focal muscle vibration (FMV) has recently been extensively researched in terms of tight muscle release and muscle performance. However, no study has investigated the effects of FMV application on medial gastrocnemius architectural changes. Objects: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of FMV on medial gastrocnemius architecture in persons with limited ankle dorsiflexion. Methods: Thirty one persons with <10° of passive ankle dorsiflexion participated in this study. We excluded persons with acute ankle injury within six months prior to study onset, a history of ankle fracture, leg length discrepancy greater than 2 cm, no history of neurological dysfunction, or trauma affecting the lower limb. The specifications of the FMV motor were as follows: a fixed frequency (fast wave: 150 Hz) and low amplitude (0.3-0.5 mm peak to peak) of vibration; the motor was used to release the medial gastrocnemius for 15 minutes. Each participant completed three trials for 10 days; a 30-second rest period was provided between each trial. Medial gastrocnemius architectural parameters [muscle thickness (MT), fiber bundle length (FBL), and pennation angle (PA)] were measured via ultrasonography. Results: MT significantly decreased after FMV application (p < 0.05). FBL significantly increased from its baseline value after FMV application (p < 0.05). PA significantly decreased from its baseline value after FMV application (p < 0.05). Conclusion: FMV application may be advantageous in reducing medial gastrocnemius excitability following a decrease in the amount of contractile tissue. Furthermore, FMV application can be used as a stretching method to alter medial gastrocnemius architecture.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2000

According to the functional matrix theory, Delaire proposes that individual occlusal plane was determined by variable effects of teeth, maxilla, mandible, cranium, cranial base and soft tissue matrix including the orofacial musculature. and that there is the ideal occlusal plane determined by the most proper spatial position of maxilla and mandible, functionally and esthetically. This study was designed to find out the relation between Delaire's ideal occlusal plane and muscle activity of masticatory muscles in individuals who have normal maxillo-mandibular relationships. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken and his/her individual occlusal plane and ideal occlusal plane were analyzed with Delaire's architectural and structural craniofacial analytic method. For evaluation of muscle activities of masticatory muscles, electromyography of anterior temporal muscle, superficial masseter muscle, and anterior belly of digastric muscle was recorded in fifty Korean normal Angle class I occlusion individuals. According to the average value of ideal occlusal plane, fifty normal Angle class I occlusion individuals were classified into three groups: Ideal occlusal plane group(I group), hyperrotation group(I+ group) and hyporotation group(I- group). The result of this study was as follows: 1. The results of Delaire's architectural and structural craniofacial analysis of lateral cephalography of the fifty Korean normal Angle class I occlusion individuals are that twelve persons(24%) have consistent or parallel with ideal occlusal plane and the average of angular difference was $1.22^{\circ}{\pm}3.69^{\circ}$. 2. There is no significant difference in muscle activities of masticatory muscles during resting(p<0.05), but significant increases of muscle activity of ipsilateral anterior temporal and masseter muscle, contralateral anterior belly of digastric muscle during unilateral chewing and of anterior temporal and masseter muscle during bilateral clenching(p<0.05). 3. To find out the effect of the angular difference between Delaire's ideal occlusal plane and real occlusal plane to muscle activity, muscle activities of masticatory muscles were compared with three groups in each other; I group, I+ group and I- group. The results were no significant differences during resting, unilateral chewing and bilateral clenching.(p>0.05) 4. Although there is no significant differences of masticatory muscle activities among the three groups, the fact that increasing tendency of masseter muscle activity of ideal occlusal plane group(I+) than those of any other groups(I+ and I-) during bilateral clenching was noted. There is only the implication that occlusal plane makes some effects on masticatory muscle activities, espacially that of masseter muscle during bilateral clenching. In conclusion, the hypothesis that occlusal plane is one of the factors which affect the muscle activities of masticatory muscles and that anyone whose occlusal plane consistent with Delaire's ideal occlusal plane has an extraordinary functional advantage in masticatory muscle function cannot be proven with electromyography methods.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.218-226
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• 2012

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to propose finite element (FE) modeling methods for predicting stress distributions on teeth and mandible under chewing action. MATERIALS AND METHODS. For FE model generation, CT images of skull were translated into 3D FE models, and static analysis was performed considering linear material behaviors and nonlinear geometrical effect. To find out proper boundary and loading conditions, parametric studies were performed with various areas and directions of restraints and loading. The loading directions are prescribed to be same as direction of masseter muscle, which was referred from anatomy chart and CT image. From the analysis, strain and stress distributions of teeth and mandible were obtained and compared with experimental data for model validation. RESULTS. As a result of FE analysis, the optimized boundary condition was chosen such that 8 teeth were fixed in all directions and condyloid process was fixed in all directions except for forward and backward directions. Also, fixing a part of mandible in a lateral direction, where medial pterygoid muscle was attached, gave the more proper analytical results. Loading was prescribed in a same direction as masseter muscle. The tendency of strain distributions between the teeth predicted from the proposed model were compared with experimental results and showed good agreements. CONCLUSION. This study proposes cost efficient FE modeling method for predicting stress distributions on teeth and mandible under chewing action. The proposed modeling method is validated with experimental data and can further be used to evaluate structural safety of dental prosthesis.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.61-68
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• 2007

When an active muscle is stretched, its steady-state isometric force following stretch is greater than that of a purely isometric contraction as the corresponding muscle length, referred to as force enhancement (FE). The purpose of this study was to investigate possible effects of muscle architecture on the FE. While subject performed maximal isometric dorsiflexion (REF) and isometric-stretch-isometric dorsiflexion (ECC) contractions, ankle joint angle and dorsiflexion torque using a dynamometer and electromyography of the tibialis anterior and the medical gastrocnemius muscles were measure. Simultaneously, real-time ultrasound images of the tibialis anterior were acquired. Regardless of the speed of stretch of the ECC contractions. the torques produced during the isometric phase following stretch ($37.3{\pm}1.5\;Nm$ ($10{\pm}3%$ FE) and $38.3{\pm}1.5$ ($12{\pm}3%$ FE) for the ECC contractions with $15^{\circ}$/s and $45^{\circ}$/s stretch speeds, respectively) were greater than those of the REF contractions ($34.5{\pm}2.5\;Nm$). Moreover, the amount of FE was found to be stretch speed dependent. Angles of pennation ($\alpha$) during the isometric phase following stretch were the same for the REF ($15{\pm}1^{\circ}$) and the ECC ($14{\pm}1^{\circ}$(LS), $15{\pm}1^{\circ}$(LF)). During the same phase, muscle thicknesses were the same ($14.9{\pm}0.6$, and $14.9{\pm}0.5\;mm$ for the REF and the ECC contractions, respectively). For a large limb muscle, the tibialis anterior muscle, a similar amount of force enhancement was observed as did for other human skeletal muscles. Architectural variables, pennation angle and thickness, were not systematically different between the REF and ECC contractions when FE occurred. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that muscle architecture may have little influence on the production of FE.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2017

Purpose : The parameters used in architectural analysis are muscle thickness, fascicle length, pennation angle, etc. Pennation angle is an important muscle characteristic that plays a significant role in determining a fascicle's force contribution to movement. Ultrasonography has been widely used to obtain the image for measurement of a pennation angle since it is non-invasive and real-time. However, manual assessment in ultrasonographic images is time-consuming and subjective, making it difficult for using in muscle function analysis. Thus, in this study, I proposed an automatic method to extract the pennation angle from the ultrasonographic images of gastrocnemius muscle. Method : The ultrasonographic image obtained from 10 healthy participants's gastrocnemius muscle using for developed automatic measuring program. Automatic measuring program algorithm consists with preprocessing, line detection, line classification, and angle calculation. The resulting image was then used to detect the fascicles and aponeuroses for calculating the pennation angle with the consideration of their distribution in ultrasonographic image. Result : The proposed automatic measurement program showed the stable repeatability of pennation angle calculation. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the proposed method was able to automatically measure the pennation angle of gastrocnemius, which made it possible to easily and reliably investigate pennation angle more.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2020

Background: The gastrocnemius (GCM) is one of the lower extremity muscles that tend to tighten easily. GCM tightness results in limited ankle dorsi-flexion (DF), especially when the knee joint is fully extended. Joint flexibility is determined by the morphological and physiological characteristics of joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Impaired joint flexibility can be attributed to increased susceptibility to muscle injury. High-frequency diathermy is clinically used to reduce pain and muscle tightness and to improve limited range of motion. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of high-frequency therapy in subjects with GCM tightness. Methods: The study was designed as a one-group before-after trial. The subjects included 28 volunteers with GCM tightness (an active ankle DF angle of less than 12°) without any known neurological and musculoskeletal pathologies in the ankle and calf areas. WINBACK Transfer Electrode Capacitive and Resistive Therapy equipment was used to apply high-frequency therapy to the subjects' GCMs for 10-15 minutes. The pennation angle and the fascicle length of the GCM were measured using ultrasonography. The flexibility of the ankle joint, peak torque to the passive ankle DF (Biodex), and soft tissue stiffness (MyotonPRO) were also measured. Results: The pennation angle was significantly decreased following the treatment; however, no significant difference in the fascicle length was found (p < 0.05). The flexibility was significantly increased and both the passive peak torque to passive ankle DF and the soft tissue stiffness significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Conclusion: High-frequency therapy is immediately effective for improving the muscle's architectural properties and functional factors in subjects with GCM tightness. Further longitudinal clinical studies are required to investigate the long-term effects of high-frequency therapy on subjects with GCM tightness from various causes.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.210-214
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• 2016

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the muscle architectural parameters of abdominal muscles in healthy individuals by rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) and to investigate their changes after bridging exercise in various environments. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study included 40 healthy participants (19 men, 21 women). Subjects were randomly allocated to a stable surface group (SG, n=20) or an unstable surface group (UG, n=20). The participants assumed three positions in rest, bridging exercise with knee flexion $60^{\circ}$, and bridging exercise with knee flexion $90^{\circ}$ for the measurement of abdominal muscle thickness by RUSI. For the resting position, the participants held the head neutral in a hook-lying position and the dominant side was measured. For contraction, the participants performed the bridging exercise with the knee joint in $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ of flexion for 10 seconds each. Results: For transversus abdominis, external oblique muscle thickness, within the stable surface group and the unstable surface group, no significant contraction difference was observed in both the $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$ bridge exercise conditions. Contraction difference of internal oblique muscle was significantly larger at $90^{\circ}$ than at $60^{\circ}$ within the SG (p<0.05). But within the UG, no significant contraction difference was shown. There was no significant contraction difference between the surface group and the unstable SG at $60^{\circ}$ condition and at $90^{\circ}$ condition in all measured muscles. Conclusions: The contraction difference is different for each muscle during bridge exercise with knee flexion $60^{\circ}$ and bridging exercise with knee flexion $90^{\circ}$. Muscle contraction difference is generally large when exercised on an unstable surface than a stable surface, but these are not statistically significant when bridging exercise is performed using dynamic air cushion for unstable surface.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1651-1657
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• 2012

Plectin and microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1) are architectural proteins that contribute to the function of skeletal muscle as generators of mechanical force. However, the influence of insulin- like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a master regulator of skeletal muscle cells, on plectin and MACF1 in skeletal muscle cells has not been demonstrated. The effect of IGF-I on plectin and MACF1 gene expression was investigated by treating differentiated C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells with 20 ng/ml of IGF-I at different time points. The IGF-I treatment increased plectin protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA level of plectin was measured by real-time quantitative PCR to determine if plectin induction was regulated pretranslationally. IGF-I treatment resulted in a very rapid induction of plectin mRNA transcript in C2C12 myotubes. Plectin mRNA increased by 140 and 180% after 24 and 48 hours of IGF-I treatment, respectively, and returned to the control level after 72 hours of IGF-I treatment. MACF1 mRNA increased 86 and 90% after 24 and 48 hours of IGF-I treat-ment, respectively, and returned to the control level after 72 hours of IGF-I treatment. These results suggested that the plectin gene is regulated pretranslationally by IGF-I in skeletal muscle cells. In conclusion, IGF-I induces a rapid transcriptional modification of the plectin and MACF1 genes in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells and has modulating effects on a cytolinker protein as well as on contractile proteins.