• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.213-220
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• 2022

We investigated the current status of research using extracorporeal shock waves on the basis of meridian and acupoint theory. By March 2022, five foreign databases (CAJ, Pubmed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) and six Korean databases (Dbpia, RISS, KMBASE, scienceON, KISS, NDSL) were searched with the terms using 'Extracorporeal shock wave' and '(Acupoint or Acupuncture point)'. The search terms were adapted according to the language of the database. There were no restrictions on the study design. As a result of the search, twenty-seven papers were selected for analysis. One study was searched in English database, and the remaining twenty-six studies were searched in Chinese database. There were nineteen pain-related diseases, four obsterics and gynecology diseases, two bone-related diseases, and two other diseases. The most frequently used acupoints were GB34, ST36, and KI3. A total of six adverse events were reported in five papers. The use of extracorporeal shock wave on the basis of meridian and acupoint theory is considered to have sufficient meaning in Korean Medicine. It is expected to use extracorporeal shock wave as a new treatment method for Korean Medicine doctors in the near future.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.291-296
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• 2022

The therapeutic approach for colon injury has changed continuously with the evolution of management strategies for trauma patients. In general, immediate laparotomy can be considered in hemodynamically unstable patients with positive findings on extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma. However, in the case of hemodynamically stable patients, an additional evaluation like computed tomography (CT) is required. Surgical treatment is often required if prominent mesenteric extravasation, free fluid, bowel infarction, and/or colon wall perforation are observed. However, immediate intervention in hemodynamically stable patients without indications for surgical treatment remains questionable. Three patients with colon and mesocolon injuries caused by blunt trauma were treated by nonoperative management. At the time of admission, they were alert and their vital signs were stable. Colon and mesocolon injuries, large hematoma, colon wall edema, and/or ischemia were revealed on CT. However, no prominent mesenteric extravasation, free fluid, bowel infarction, and/or colon wall perforation were observed. In two cases, conservative treatment was performed without worsening abdominal pain or laboratory tests. Follow-up CT showed improvement without additional treatment. In the third case, follow-up CT and percutaneous drainage were performed in considering the persistent left abdominal discomfort, fever, and elevated inflammatory markers of the patient. After that, outpatient CT showed improvement of the hematoma. In conclusion, nonoperative management can be considered as a therapeutic option for mesocolon and colon injuries caused by blunt trauma of selected cases, despite the presence of large hematoma and ischemia, if there are no clear indications for immediate intervention.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.183-186
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• 2022

Anterior tibialis ruptures are a rare type of injury related to the foot and ankle. Specifically, chronic and non-traumatic ruptures are related to preexisting chronic tendinopathic conditions and anatomical factors. These ruptures may cause persistent pain and functional impairments if neglected. Chronic tibialis anterior ruptures are frequently diagnosed late because the symptoms are not distinct. In cases with chronic or non-traumatic tibialis anterior tendon ruptures, tendons often become irreparable. Hence, various surgical options have been introduced to address this issue. The current surgical treatment options are as follows: free sliding anterior tibialis graft, extensor hallucis longus tendon transfer, and reconstruction with an allograft tendon. To date, there have been few reports about the reconstruction technique using Z-plasty for irreparable tibialis anterior tendon ruptures. In this report, we present a rare case of the application of the tibialis anterior tendon reconstruction technique using Z-plasty and tenodesis for a middle-aged man with an irreparable avulsion injury rupture. We also present the management plan and prognostic outlook, as well as a subsequent review of the relevant literature.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.221-229
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• 2023

This study aims to develop knee protectors that provide high safety and fitness, while incorporating a motion-adaptable 3D-printed pad. These protectors were evaluated by individuals who experience knee discomfort or pain. The results are as follows. First, the 3Dprinted pad design of a hexagonal mesh structure, which is modeled for excellent appearance and knee movement. Each unit of the mesh has a outer layer of 2mm thick, a spacer layer of 1 mm in diameter, and is connected by a 1.5 mm bridge. The bridge was extended up to 1.2 cm. Second, the knee brace was designed in three types - cylinder, strap, and combination by Universal design. Impact protection measurements of the three knee protectors demonstrated roughly 80% reduction in impact. Third, based on usability evaluation, cylinder type protectors have the highest ratings in most areas, primarily because of their ease of use. The strap type protector received positive reviews in terms of appearance and care, and the combination type provided stable knee protection. This study demonstrated the potential industrial application of 3D printing technology by designing and evaluating protective products for the human body. The results of this study are expected to aid knee protector manufacturers in developing practical products and promoting the development of protective equipment for other body parts or purposes.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.111-128
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• 2023

Trigger finger is a common cause of hand disability that results in finger catching, clicking, or locking. Conventional treatment options such as medication, injection, and surgery have limitations. Studies have indicated that acupuncture and acupotomy can be effective in treating trigger finger. However, no review regarding these treatment modalities has been published yet. This review included randomized controlled trials published until January 2023, investigating acupuncture-related interventions. The primary outcomes of interest included the effectiveness rate (ER) and pain intensity, measured using a visual analog scale (VAS) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and secondary outcomes were the Quinnell grade (QG) and recurrence rate (RR). Adverse events (AEs) have also been reported wherever available. Overall, 19 studies were included, and results demonstrated that arcedge acupuncture improved the ER and QG and reduced NRS, and acupuncture was effective in reducing VAS. Compared with conventional surgery, acupotomy alone improved the ER and QG and lowered VAS and RR, with relatively fewer AEs. Acupotomy add-on treatment was more effective than conventional treatment; however, careful interpretation is needed for VAS. Acupotomy add-on treatment was more effective than acupotomy alone. However, the overall results must be interpreted with caution because of study quality, small sample size, and heterogeneity of the results.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.252-264
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• 2023

Background: The primary aim of this study is to statistically analyze and compare the difference in treatment outcomes based on the frequency and duration of acupotomy treatment for lumbar disk herniation. Methods: The evaluation of efficacy and safety involved using visual analog scale (VAS), numeric rating scale (NRS), Roland Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), EuroQol 5-dimention (EQ-5D), and similar parameters. This was achieved through the establishment of a comparable cohort using propensity score matching. Group A comprised 46 patients who underwent 4 sessions of acupotomy treatment for 2 weeks, while Group B consisted of 15 patients who received 6 acupotomy sessions for 3 weeks. Results: For Group A, the average amount of change in VAS values at weeks 4 and 6 was significantly decreased. However, the average amount of change in RMDQ values was not significant. Notably, the average amount of change of EQ-5D values at week 6 increased significantly. As for Group B, the average amount of change of NRS values in weeks 2 and 3 was significantly decreased. Conversely, the average amount of change in RMDQ and EQ-5D values was not significant. In comparing the 2 groups at the final follow-up, the average amount of change in all evaluation values was not significant. Further, no significant interaction effect was observed in the changes over time in all evaluation values between the 2 groups. Conclusion: This study establishes that there was no statistically significant difference in pain reduction, functional impairment, and quality of life improvement between 2 group.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2023

Objectives: Pharmacopuncture is considered a unique new type of acupuncture in Korean medicine (KM). This study was performed to investigate the research trends regarding pharmacopuncture through a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for this study. The search terms were pharmacopuncture and pharmaco-puncture. The search was conducted on May 23, 2023, and 185 studies retrieved up to this date were included. Software VOSviewer version 1.6.19 was used to perform the bibliometric analysis. After data clearing, keyword co-occurrence and cooperation pattern analyses were performed. Results: The number of studies on pharmacopuncture have gradually increased since the mid-2000s, with the most published in 2020 (46 studies). The quality of the studies has also steadily increased, and recently, several randomized controlled trials of pharmacopuncture have been conducted. Moreover, this treatment has been investigated in the context of KM clinical practice guideline development in Korea. The scope of pharmacopuncture studies to date seems to be limited to musculoskeletal pain and bee venom pharmacopuncture. The researchers from Jaseng Medical Foundation have been the core researchers in the field of pharmacopuncture in Korea. They collaborated with researchers from universities or government-funded research institutes. However, small-scale research teams from KM clinics and university researchers were also identified as independent clusters. Conclusion: Pharmacopuncture research has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively, but the scope needs to be further expanded. There is also a gap between the use of pharmacopuncture by KM doctors in clinical settings and pharmacopuncture research. Based on these findings, some suggestions for future studies in this field are discussed. Furthermore, these findings may be used as data to expand and globalize pharmacopuncture research in the future.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.365-389
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• 2014

The present study aimed at investigating how those students who retook college entrance examination(or RCEE) appreciate the experience. For this purpose, three persons from each cell at the 2(satisfaction with college life: high vs. low) by 2 (evaluation of RCEE: positive vs. negative) combination among those who participated in Lee and Jung study (2014) were selected and were interviewed. Qualitative data analysis based on phenomenological approach produced seven categories and 19 subcategories, which were grouped on the temporal dimension. First, when they were at the midst of this RCEE experience, the college students saw this as adversity that should be overcome while they underwent a limit of pain they could bear. Second, the college students evaluated this experience as upgrading my life with wound left unseen. Finally, they assigned to both of the positive and negative aspects of RCEE experience the meaning that the experience made them accept themselves as they were. Given these results, implications, limitations of this study were discussed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.307-317
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• 2023

Objectives: To introduce the progress of treatment and improve clinical use after application of Emotion-to-Emotion Therapy (ETE Therapy) for treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Methods: A patient who was diagnosed with PTSD that occurred after violence in the family mainly complained about abdominal pain, depression, and fear. We treated the patient with ETE therapy as the main treatment. Subjective Units of Distress scale (SUDs), The Core Seven-Emotions Inventory Short Form (CSEI-s), and Mentalizing the Rooms of Mind (MRM) were evaluated before and after the treatment for assessing the clinical effect. Results: After treatment, overall clinical symptoms of the patient were alleviated. This result was supported by a decrease in SUDs. There were meaningful drops in 'Fear', 'Fright', 'Sorrow' in CSEI-s scores, consistent with the direction of 'Sa-seung-Gong (思勝恐)' used as major technique of ETE therapy. Resources and positive emotions in MRM were increased after treatment. Conclusions: ETE therapy may be effective for treating PTSD. It might play a significant role in cognitive reconstruction.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2023

Background Hypothenar free flaps (HTFFs) have been widely used for reconstructing palmar defects. Although previous anatomical and clinical studies of HTFF have been conducted, this technique still has some limitations. In this study, we describe some tips for large flap design that allows for easy harvesting of HTFFs with minimal donor site morbidity. Methods A total of 14 HTFF for hand defect reconstruction were recorded. The oblique flap was designed in the proximal HT area following relaxed skin tension line along the axis between fourth web space and 10 mm ulnar side of pisiform. A flap pedicle includes one or two perforators with ulnar digital artery and HT branch of basilic vein. In addition, innervated HTFF can be harvested with a branch of ulnar digital nerve. Electronic medical records were reviewed to obtain data on patients' information, operative details, and follow-up period. In addition, surgical outcome score was obtained from the patient, up to 10 points, at the last follow-up. Results Mean harvest time was 46 minutes, and two perforators were included in 10 cases. The mean flap area was 10.84 cm². There were no problems such as donor site depression, scar contracture, keloids, wound dehiscence, numbness or neuroma pain at donor sites, and hypersensitivity or cold intolerance at flap site, either functionally or aesthetically. Conclusion Palmar defect reconstruction is challenging for hand surgeons. However, large HTFF can be harvested without complications using the oblique axis HTFF technique. We believe our surgical tips increase utility of HTFF for palmar defect reconstruction.