• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.161-173
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• 1991

A statistical approach was carried out to analyze joint moments acting on the six subjects performing a right-handed seated task. The dynamic task analyzed consisted of moving a hand-held weight of lkg mass back and forth in front of a subject's chest at the shoulder level in an upright seated position. We used experimental data obtained in the Biomechanics Laboratory of the University of Michigan. Based on the acquired data from three trials by each subject, moments were calculated using a 3-dimensional biomechanical model at such articulations as wrist, elbow, shoulder, the third lumbar spine, hip, knee, and ankle joints. The linear correlation and the two way analysis of variance were applied to the calculated joint moments in order to investigate inter-subject and inter-trial varations. The results obtained showed that the largest magnitude and deviation of moment was found at the third lumbar spine, that any linear relationship could not be found between moment and its equivalents attempted in this study, and that the maximum value and deviation of moment acting on each joint were statistically the same for all three trials but those were statistically not the same for all six subjects.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.291-299
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• 2024

Background: Postoperative pain management following minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) remains a critical concern due to severe post-procedural pain. Promising results have been reported for cryoanalgesia following MIRPE; however, its invasiveness, single-lung ventilation, and additional instrumentation requirements remain obstacles. Serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a regional block technique capable of covering the anterior chest wall at the T2-9 levels, which are affected by MIRPE. We hypothesized that SAPB would be a superior alternative pain control modality that reduces postoperative pain more effectively than conventional methods. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent MIRPE between March 2022 and August 2023. The efficacy of pain control was compared between group N (conventional pain management, n=24) and group S (SAPB, n=26). Group N received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) and subcutaneous local anesthetic infusion. Group S received bilateral continuous SAPB with 0.3% ropivacaine after a bilateral bolus injection of 30 mL of 0.25% ropivacaine with baseline IV-PCA. Pain levels were evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively and total intravenous rescue analgesic consumption by morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Results: Mean VAS scores were significantly lower in group S than in group N throughout the 72-hour postoperative period (p<0.01). Group S showed significantly lower MME at postoperative 72 hours (group N: 108.53, group S: 16.61; p<0.01). Conclusion: SAPB improved immediate postoperative pain control in both the resting and dynamic states and reduced opioid consumption compared to conventional management.