• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.125-145
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• 2009

Objectives : To analyze the inclusion criteria of participants, control group interventions, and the results of prior studies of acupuncture for OA. Also to identify aspects of the procedure that are associated with positive outcomes in order to establish ideal acupuncture treatment model. And to assess the methodological quality of the trials with modified Jadad score and FEAS in order to evaluate the quality of prior studies and find out whether or not acupuncture has a positive effect in treating OA. Methods : Articles up to the date of November 2008 were searched via computerized databases of PubMed, Journal of Korean Oriental Medicine, The Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society and Journal of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine. Bibliographies of reviewed papers were also searched and reviewed. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews concerning the effects of acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA) on symptoms of osteoarthritis of the human knee, published in English and Korean were included. The acupuncture treatment methods of the reviewed trials were assessed based on STRICTA. And the methodological quality of the trials was assessed by modified Jadad score and FEAS. Results : Twenty one trials of acupuncture for OA were analyzed. Based on the results of this review the following factors might contribute to optimal results from acupuncture treatment. 1) Usage of $ST_{35}$, $GB_{34$, $EX_{32}$, $ST_{36}$ and $SP_9$ acupuncture points. 2) More than four acupuncture points should be used. 3) More than 15 minutes of needle retention time. 4) Needle length-40mm and diameter-0.30mm 5) Usage of EA 6) more than 10 times treatment 7) Treatment frequency of more than once a week, 8) Treatment duration longer than 6 to 8 weeks. Conclusions : High quality clinical trials of Acupuncture for OA is still in lack. Future investigators must concentrate their attentions on the quality of acupuncture treatment itself used in the trials as well as the methodological quality of trials.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.432-442
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• 2006

Statement of problem: One of common problems associated with dental implant is the loosening of abutment screws that retain the implants. Purpose : This study was performed to investigate the influence of abutment screw length and repeated tightening on screw loosening in dental implant. Material and method: Forty nine Hexplants (13mm length, 4.3mm diameter, Ti grade IV, Warantec. Co. Ltd. Seongnam, Korea) and cementation type abutments(straight abutment) and abutment screws (0.4mm/pitch) were divided into 7 groups, depending on abutment screw length. Each implant and abutment was tightened to 30Ncm by torque controller(MGT50, MARK-10 Inc., USA) and the removal torque values were measured during 10 consecutive closure/opening trials. Results and Conclusion: The results of comparing the removal torque value are as follows : 1. There is no significant difference in the removal torque value between groups in 10 consecutive closure/opening trials (p = 0.97). 2. If the fractured abutment screw is engaged in longer than 2.425 thread length, there is no significant difference in the preload between the fractured abutment screw and the new abutment screw when both are equally tightened to 30 Ncm. 3. The removal torque value in the 1st trial(24.510 Ncm) was lower than that in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th trials and the removal torque value in the 2nd trials(25.551 Ncm) was maximum and was decreased in 1311owing trials. The removal torque value in the 1st trial was significantly lower than that in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th trials and was significantly higher than that in the 8th, 9th, l0th trials(p<0.05). 4. In the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th trials, the abutment screw was mainly influenced by settling effect and the higher preload was obtained In the 8th, 9th, l0th trials, the abutment screw was mainly influenced by adhesive wear and the progressively lower preload was obtained.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.153-173
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to ascertain what should be considered in the "Guideline for Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Lung Cancer" by analyzing the existing guidelines and clinical trials. Methods: The committee searched guidelines and clinical trials about herbal medicine for lung cancer. The searched trials were analyzed in terms of inclusion and exclusion of participants, intervention, comparator, outcomes and trial design. Then, we compared the results of our analysis with the guidelines to identify the issues we will have to consider when making the "Guideline for Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Lung Cancer". Several guidelines for anti-tumor agents and clinical trials with herbal medicine were searched on the national institution homepage. The search terms were as follows: 'lung neoplasm', 'herbal medicine', 'Medicine, Korean traditional', 'Medicine, Chinese Traditional' etc. Results: There was no guideline for clinical trial with herbal medicine for lung cancer. In addition, 7 articles were searched through database searching. All the participants had non-small cell lung cancer. The type of intervention was decoction. Comparators included conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. The outcome measurements used in the studies were quality of life, tumor response, and survival duration, etc. Safety was evaluated by recording adverse events and blood test. Conclusions: Findings were made by reviewing existing guidelines and comparing them with clinical trials for lung cancer and herbal medicinal products. These results will be utilized in the development of "Guideline for Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Lung Cancer".

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.91-103
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to perform quantity and quality assessment of randomized controlled trials(RCTs) in the journal of oriental rehabilitation medicine(JORM). Methods : Upon extracting randomized controlled trial from all the articles published in the JORM from 1991 to 2009, assessments were made on the adequacy of the consolidated standards of reporting trials(CONSORT) checklist. The assessment were performed independently by two researchers, and adjustment of the differences were done by discussions. Results : Among the 824 articles from 1981 to 1999, 33 RCTs were selected. 4 RCTs were published from 1991 to 2002, and 29 RCTs were published from 2003 to 2009. Adequacy of the CONSORT checklist was 29.4%(27.3% from 1999 to 2005, 31.6% from 2006 to 2009). Conclusions : RCTs of the JORM consistently increased in quantity and quality. But researchers should make an effort to reporting more accurate.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2008

Objectives We aimed at reviewing the clinical trials of the acupuncture application for obesity treatment, recently. Methods We searched the clinical trials papers with keywords of obesity, weight loss, overweight, obese and acupuncture and limited method to clinical trial since 2006 in the search site, Scopus. Results & Conclusion We reveiwed 13 articles searched. Recently, acupuncture application for obesity treatment were 3 types ; traditional acupuncture, auricular acupuncture and electroacupuncture. In the 13 articles, 6 articles were uncontrolled trials and 7 were controlled trials. Acupuncture application were effective method to decrease weight and to improve complication such as Polycystic ovarian syndrome, insulin resistance and psychological symptoms.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.145-152
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• 2016

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate both cancer patients' willingness to participate (WTP) in clinical trials and its associated factors. Methods : We searched MEDLINE (PubMed) for studies that had investigated cancer patients' WTP in clinical trials. Search terms included 'willingness to participate', 'cancer' and 'trial'. Studies published within the last five years up to July 26, 2016 were potentially eligible. Results : Of 44 initial hits, 14 studies (12 quantitative and 2 qualitative) were included. Two out of the 14 studies investigated WTP in an acupuncture trial. Study designs, such as WTP measurement methods, investigation settings, and type of cancer, varied. The proportion of participants with a WTP was widely distributed between the studies (median 48.6 %, range 11.1 % to 88.3 %). Factors associated with WTP included various socio-demographic factors, clinical factors, participants' knowledge/attitudes toward clinical trials, travel distance, information from physicians, and trust toward physicians. Conclusion : WTP and its associated factors were variable across the reviewed studies, which might be due to different research methods and contexts. Whether or not common factors associated with cancer patients' WTP in clinical trials exist remains unclear and thus warrants further research.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2015

Objectives : This study aims to evaluate current clinical evidence of traditional Korean medicine treatment on wrist pain with carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods : Ten Korean databases were searched for prospective clinical trials of traditional Korean medicine therapy on wrist pain with carpal tunnel syndrome from the time of their inception to February, 2015. Studies conducted in Korean, Chinese and English were searched. Risk of bias in included non-randomized controlled trials was assessed by the Cochrane handbook procedure. Results : Four non-randomized controlled trials were included. A high risk of bias was observed in all trials. All of the included studies reported favorable effects being experienced by an intervention group compared to a baseline or control group. Included studies never described any occurrence of adverse events. Conclusions : There is no evidence that traditional Korean medicine treatments are effective for treating wrist pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. All of the included studies lacked appropriate methodological qualities and internal validity. Future well-designed clinical trials that evaluate the effects and safety of traditional Korean medicine treatment for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome are needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2018

Objectives: Clinical improvements can be observed following placebo administrations in clinical trials. Randomized controlled trials have been conducted to disentangle the specific effects of therapeutic interventions over the past decade. In acupuncture trials, non-penetrating placebo needles offer the opportunity to determine the specific effects of needling. Methods: The present review provides an overview of the concept of the placebo effect and the characteristics of the placebo needles. Results: Placebo control can contribute to minimize for bias and the contextual and psychological components of therapeutic interventions. Placebo control should meet two criteria: blinding efficacy (indistinguishable from active treatment) and physiological inertness. In the case of acupuncture, however, it is difficult to meet both criteria simultaneously. The dilemma of placebo needles suggests that placebo needles do not constitute proper control in acupuncture research. Considering the characteristics of placebo needles, patients are more likely to perceive placebo needles as active treatment in acupuncture trials compared to placebo pills in pharmaceutical trials. Placebo response might be observed more frequently to placebo needles than to placebo pills. When acupuncture treatments are utilized in clinical use, placebo effects can be enhanced by exploiting patients' expectations in the contextual or environmental cues that surround medical intervention. Conclusions: We have to consider these unique characteristics of placebo needles in order to avoid drawing premature conclusions that acupuncture itself is just a placebo.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2012

Objective : Acupuncture has been used for treating eye disease for thousands of years but there are few evidence based medicine (EBM) for its use. This study is a review of Clinical trials related to the treatment of eye disease by acupuncture therapy. Methods : We referred a Pubmed site by using searching word of "eye, acupuncture" (Limits: 10 Year, Clinical Trials, Humans, English). Results : Eight journals with twelve papers were searched. Eight of these studies were randomized and ten trials of acupuncture treatments reported significant effect. On the topic of these clinical trials, five of them were about dry eyes, four about disorder of refraction, two about intraocular pressure and one about visual function. The result of clinical studies represented the significant cure rate. Conclusion : We found that RCTs about the acupucnture for eye diseases were more and more published. But their average impact factor was 2.16 and average modified Jadad score was 3.89, so there needs more qualifying studies.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.34-47
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which used acupuncture for the treatment of intellectual disability in China, and to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. Methods The RCTs published from January 2017 to July 2021 were searched using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Then, those were analyzed by acupuncture treatment methods used and their results. Results A total of 18 randomized controlled trials were selected and analyzed. Most studies showed significantly higher Intelligence Quotient, Development Quotient, and a total effective rate in an acupuncture treatment group than those of the control group. The most used acupoints were EX-HN1 followed by Niesanzhen, Naosanzhen, Zhisanzhen, Shouzhizhen, GV20. Conclusions Based on the results of the analyzed randomized controlled trials, an acupuncture treatment has shown to be effective in the treatment of intellectual disability. However, additional well designed clinical trials are needed to solidify these findings.