• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.104-108
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• 2008

Background: The compression of 7th cranial nerve by arteries is one of the various causes of hemifacial spasm (HFS). A few previous studies were revealed the relation between the compression of 7th cranial nerve and common trunk anomaly. We evaluated the common trunk anomalies in patients with HFS using MRI and MRA. Methods: From January 2001 to December 2005, 41 consecutive patients (9 men, mean age $54.5{\pm}12.6$) with HFS underwent MRI and MRA. T2 axial images and time-of-flight angiographies were reviewed for identification of the compression at root exit zone by two neuroradiologists and one neurologist. Results: Thirty-seven patients showed neurovascular compression on the lesion side. Twenty patients of them were shown the compression of 7th cranial nerve by anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), and seventeen patients of them were shown the compression by posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). Twenty-four patients of the thirty-seven patients had common trunk anomaly. In control, twelve of twenty-one subjects had common trunk anomaly, that the frequencies of common trunk anomaly of two groups were 58.8% in HFS and 57.1% in controls. In the twenty-four patients with common trunk anomaly, eighteen patients had dominant-AICA, and six patients had dominant-PICA. The rate of nerve compression by common trunk anomaly in the HFS with unilateral common trunk, dominant-AICA was 76.5% and dominant-PICA was 100%. Conclusions: This study also revealed that AICA was most common compressive artery. There was no difference between the HFS groups and control groups in frequency of common trunk anomaly. Thus, we could not demonstrate the relationship between common trunk anomaly and HFS.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2012

The aim of this study is to compare measurements of abdominal muscle thickness using ultrasonography imaging (USI) to those using a special transducer head device, during five different trunk stabilization exercises, ultimately to determine which exercise led to the greatest muscle thickness. Thirty eight healthy subjects participated in this cross-sectional study. The five types of trunk stabilization - i.e., a sit-up on the supine, an upper and lower extremity raise with quadruped on the prone, a leg raise in sitting on the ball, trunk rolling on the ball, and balance using sling on the prone position - were each performed with an abdominal draw. The thickness of the abdominal muscle - including the transverse abdominal (TrA), internal oblique (IO), and external oblique (EO) - was measured by USI with a special transducer head device, at rest and then at contraction in each position. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated ANOVA with the level of significance set at ${\alpha}$=.05. The results were as follows: 1) the TrA thickness was statistically significant (p<.05), whereas the IO and EO thicknesses were not (p>.05); 2) among the five types of trunk stabilization, TrA thickness significantly increased with the balance using a sling in the prone position, (p<.05), whereas no significant difference was noted for the four types of trunk stabilization (p>.05); 3) reliability data showed that there was a high degree of consistency among the measurements taken using the special transducer head device (ICC=.92). In conclusion, the balance using a sling in the prone position was more effective than any of the four other types of trunk stabilization in increasing TrA thickness in healthy subjects.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.243-252
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of trunk posture on muscle activity and motion of scapular and scapulohumeral rhythm. Thirty-one healthy subjects performed right-arm abduction and adduction along the frontal plane while standing in both upright and flexed posture of trunk. Scapular upward rotation, anterior tilting and internal rotation ware recorded using a motion analysis system and muscle activity of upper trapezius, lower trapezius and serratus anterior ware recorded using surface electromyography during abduction and adduction in both trunk postures. then, scapulohumeral rhythm was calculated. Scapulohumeral rhythm and scapular posterior tilting in flexed posture was significantly decreased than in upright posture. Also, muscle activity of lower trapezius in flexed posture was significantly increased and serratus anterior was significantly decreased than in general posture. The result of this study revealed that flexed posture of trunk altered the muscle activity and kinematic of scapular. Measurement of trunk posture should be included the evaluation of dysfunction and disorder of shoulder girdle since rehabilitation of trunk posture is important to restore of upper limbs function.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

PURPOSE: This study compared the effectiveness of trunk control exercise performed on an unstable surface with that of general balance exercise on dynamic balance in the patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: The persons of this study were thirty-seven chronic stroke patients were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups; (1) those who performed trunk control exercise on a foam roll and (2) those who performed general balance exercise. The exercises were performed 5 times a week for 4 weeks. To determine the effectiveness of the 2 types of exercises, we measured dynamic balance at the beginning of the exercises and again after 4 weeks at the completion of exercises program. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of exercise, both the groups showed increased Berg's balance scale and timed-up-and-go test (p<.001) scores. However, Trunk control exercise group was more effective than general balance exercise group was in increasing the Berg's balance scale (p<.01) and timed-up-and-go test (p<.05) scores. CONCLUSION: We suggest that trunk control exercise may be effective in increasing the balance ability of patients with chronic stroke than general balance exercise. Thus, trunk control exercise is important for such patients. Further studies are needed for better understanding of the effectiveness of trunk control exercise in chronic stroke patients.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.317-331
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• 2017

Purpose: Balance and walking ability are important elements of functional independence for people with stroke and are major goals in rehabilitation. These abilities require trunk performance, but most chronic stroke patients reach a plateau in their rehabilitation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-training trunk program to improve balance and walking ability in people with stroke, and to suggest such a self-training program for integrated rehabilitation of people with stroke. Methods: The study recruited 7 people with stroke. The subjects performed trunk training for 30 min per day, 6 days per week, for 3 weeks. Participants were measured on the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Korean Activities-specific Balance Confidence (K-ABC) scale, the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), the 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and a gait analysis to measure the training effects. Statistical analysis used the Wilcoxon signed-rank test as a non-parametric statistical test. Results: TIS was not significantly different after the self-training trunk program, but BBS (p>0.05), K-ABC, and FES were significantly improved after the training program (p<0.05). Furthermore, the 6MWT, stride/height %, and one-leg stance were significantly improved after the training program (p<0.05), but cadence, stance, and swing duration were not significantly different after the training (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that a self-training trunk program should be integrated into stroke rehabilitation to improve balance and walking ability, and further research is needed to develop the program to be more effective for chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.203-217
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aimed to determine whether task-oriented trunk training can improve muscle strength, muscle activity, balance, and gait in stroke patients. Methods : A total of 27 stroke patients who agreed to participate in the study were randomly divided into the following two groups: (1) experimental group 1, task-oriented training applied to the proximal part (n=14) and (2) experimental group 2, task-oriented training applied to the distal part (n=13). Thereafter, task-oriented trunk training was accordingly applied in each group for 60 minutes per session, 5 times per week for 6 weeks. Muscle power, muscle activity, balance, and gait were assessed using a digital dynamometer, surface electromyograph, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and gait analyzer (G-WALK), respectively, before and after training. Results : Trunk muscle strength significantly increased in both groups after training (p<.05). and there was a significant difference between the groups. Muscle activity in the stance phase during gait significantly increased in both groups after training (p<.05), and there was a significant difference between the groups. Muscle activity in the swing phase during gait significantly increased in both groups after training (p<.05), and there was a significant difference between the groups. The TUG test values significantly increased in both groups after training (p<.05), and there was a significant difference between the groups. Gait significantly increased in both groups after training (p<.05), and there was a significant difference between the groups. Conclusion : The results of this study show that task-oriented training can improve trunk muscle strength, muscle activity, balance, and gait in stroke patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.6543-6550
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• 2015

This study aimed to analyze the effect of flexi-bar exercise on in body composition and trunk muscle strength of female college students who are either overweight or obesity. The subjects were female college students divided into experimental group(N=15) and control group(N=15). The experimental group performed a flexi-bar exercise for of 30 minute sessions three days per week for five weeks, and the differences in body composition and trunk muscle strength before and after the experiment and between experimental group and control group were analyzed. The study results showed that the experimental group had a statistically significant improvement in the body fat mass and body fat percentage, body muscle mass, both arm muscle mass, trunk muscle mass, basal metabolic rate(p<.05). Changes in trunk muscle strength showed that the experimental group had statistically significant increased in changes in trunk muscle strength(p<.01). The study verified that flexi-bar exercise can be effective for improving the body composition and trunk muscle strength of overweight and obesity female college students.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify effects of restricted trunk motion on the performances of the maximum vertical jump. Ten healthy males performed normal countermovement jump(NJ) and control type of countermovement jump(CJ), in which subjects were required to restrict trunk motion as much as possible. The results showed 10% decreases of jumping height in CJ compared with NJ, which is primarily due to vertical velocity at take off. NJ with trunk motion produced significantly higher GRF than RJ, especially at the early part of propulsive phase, which resulted from increased moments on hip joint. And these were considered the main factors of performance enhancement in NJ. There were no significant differences in the mechanical outputs on knee and ankle joint between NJ and RJ. With trunk motion restricted, knee joint alternatively played a main role for propulsion, which is contrary on the normal jump that hip joint was highest contributor. And restricted trunk motion resulted in the changes of coordination pattern, knee-hip extension timing compared with normal proximal-distal sequence. In conclusion these results suggest that trunk motion is effective strategy for increasing performance of vertical jumping.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2020

Background: The flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) refers to a sudden onset of activity in the erector spinae muscles that recedes or fades during full forward flexion of the trunk. Lumbar spine and hip flexion are associated with many daily physical activities that also impact trunk flexion. Shorter hamstring muscles result in a reduction of pelvic mobility that eventually culminates in low back pain (LBP). Many studies have explored the FRP in relation to LBP. However, few studies have investigated the influence of hamstring muscle length on the FRP in relation to the erector spinae muscles during trunk flexion. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the influence of hamstring muscle length on the FRP in relation to the erector spinae muscles during trunk flexion. Methods: Thirty subjects were divided into three groups according to hamstring length measured through an active knee extension test. The 30 participants consisted of 10 subjects who had a popliteal angle of 20° or less (Group 1), 10 subjects who had a popliteal angle of 21°-39° (Group 2), and 10 subjects who had a popliteal angle of 40° or more (Group 3). A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the difference in muscle activity of the erector spinae muscles during trunk flexion. Results: The subjects with a shorter hamstring length had significantly higher muscle activity in their erector spinae muscles during trunk flexion and full trunk flexion (p < 0.05). The subjects with a shorter hamstring length also had a significantly higher flexion-relaxation ratio (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that differences in hamstring muscle length can influence the FRP in relation to the erector spinae muscles. This finding suggests that the shortening of the hamstring might be associated with LBP.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2008

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate flexor-extensor muscle strength of trunk according to Sasang constitution. Methods : This study was carried out with the data from comprehensive medical testing. People were performed Trunk Extension Flexion(TEF) Program of CYBEX NORM System and QSCC(Questionnaire of Sasang Constitution Classification) II test. And then we made three groups according to Sasang constitution and analyzed isokinetic strength on the TEF. Results : 1. A significant difference(Taeumin>Soeumin>Soyangin) was found in flexor muscle peak torque(PT) of trunk according to Sasang constitution(P<0.05). 2. A significant difference was not found in flexor muscle peak torque%body weight (PT%BW) of trunk according to Sasang constitution. 3. A significant difference(Taeumin>Soeumin>Soyangin) was found in extensor muscle peak torque(PT) of trunk according to Sasang constitution(P<0.05). 4. A significant difference(Soeumin>Taeumin>Soyangin) was found in extensor muscle peak torque%body weight(PT%BW) of trunk according to Sasang constitution(P<0.05). Conclusions : There is a significant difference in isokinetic strength on the TEF according to Sasang constitution.