• PNF and Movement
• /
• 제17권2호
• /
• pp.329-337
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Ultrasound imaging is commonly used to measure the pennation angle of human skeletal muscles in vivo. However, manual assessment of the pennation angle using ultrasound images is subjective and time-consuming and requires a high level of examiner skill. The architectural analysis of human skeletal muscles is thus challenging. Automated approaches using image processing techniques are therefore required to estimate the pennation angle in ultrasound images. The purpose of this study was thus to assess the intra-tester and inter-tester reliability and validity of the pennation angle using an automatic measurement program. Methods: Twenty-two healthy young adults (mean age = 22.55 years) with no medical history of neurological or musculoskeletal disorders voluntarily participated in this study. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure the pennation angle of the gastrocnemius muscle at rest. One examiner acquired images from all the participants. The intra-tester and inter-tester reliability were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to estimate reliability. Validity was measured using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The intra-rater reliability was excellent for the automatic pennation angle measuring program and the manual pennation angle assessment method (ICC>0.95). The inter-rater reliability was also excellent for both methods (ICC>0.93). All the correlation coefficients for the automatic pennation angle measuring program and the manual pennation angle assessment method were 0.79, which indicated a significantly positive correlation (p<0.05). Conclusion: Pennation angle measurement using the automatic pennation angle measuring program showed acceptable reliability and validity. This study therefore demonstrated that the automatic measuring program was able to automatically measure the pennation angle of skeletal muscles using ultrasound images, and thus made it easy to investigate skeletal muscle architecture.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• 제12권2호
• /
• pp.81-88
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the needs of prior field learning and the academic achievement of field experience learning in a college. Methods: This study was performed from May 1 to October 30, and students were given questionnaire. The research questionnaire as follows: (1) to investigate the academic achievement after field experience learning, (2) to verify the needs of field experience learning. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 17.0 for window version. Results: The results was as follows : First, satisfaction of field learning had scored good(47.2%) in lesson goal, good(51.8%) in acquisition of knowledge and techniques, good(51.0%) in preparation of study and good(45.9%) in association. Second, curriculum of field learning had scored normal(35.5%) in prior education, good(47.4%) in composition, good(50.8%) in guidance and good(47.2%) in contents. Third, curriculum of field learning had scored good(44.6%) in duration, good(46.1%) in numbers, good(51.3%) in convenience and normal(38.1%) in means of transportation. Forth, needs of field learning had scored good(46.6%) in field learning of practicum, good(48.2%) in field learning of theory subject, 3-4 times(42.0%) in frequency of field learning and 2hours(57.3%) in a field learning hour. Conclusion: These findings suggest that college student's thinking of field experience learning is positive. Field experience learning provided that college students have directly an opportunity of gaining valuable experience to feel the field.

• PNF and Movement
• /
• 제21권2호
• /
• pp.231-241
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Weakness of the vastus medialis oblique muscle (VMO), or the imbalance between VMO and vastus lateralis muscle (VL) activity, is one of the most important factors in knee joint problems. Rigid taping techniques, such as patellar inhibition taping and VL inhibition taping, are frequently used in clinical practice to treat knee joint problems. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effect of three different types of taping (patellar inhibition taping (PIT), distal VL inhibition taping (DVLIT), and proximal VL inhibition taping (PVLIT)) on electromyography (EMG) activity of VMO, VL, and VMO:VL ratio during walking. Methods: Thirty-eight normal healthy subjects (38 males; mean age = 31.00 years) voluntarily participated in this study. EMG was applied to investigate muscle activation during walking. Repeated measures of ANOVA and one-way ANOVA compared the three different conditions (PIT, DVLIT, and PVLIT) for each variable. Results: VMO and VL activation were significantly increased after PTIT application, and VMO and VL activation were significantly decreased after DVLIT and PVLIT application. The VMO:VL ratio increased after the three types of taping application, but there were no significant differences among the three types of taping. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, PTIT is more effective than DVLIT and PVLIT in increasing the muscle activation of the VMO and VL during walking. Also, DVLIT is more effective for increasing the VMO:VL ratio and has beneficial effects on the imbalance between VMO and VL activity.