• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect that various loads have on the lower limb biomechanics. The following variables were measured and analyzed; performance time for each phase, lower limb moments and joint angles, and ground reaction forces. The kinematic and kinetic data was recorded by 2 force platforms and a motion capture system while 12 healthy adults in their twenties stepped down three steps under loads of 0%, 10%, 20% BW. Results are as follows. First, the different loading conditions did not seem to significantly affect the performance times and the joint angles. Second, the largest ground reaction forces were observed at the 1 step at the 10% BW condition. Finally, at the 0% BW loading condition the right hip extension moment was the smallest and the left hip flexion moment was the largest. The results show that there are not any significant changes in the biomechanics of the lower limbs under loading conditions up to 20% BW. Further investigations including more loading conditions with more weights and more additional steps analyzed are needed.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2011

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of ipsilateral reamputation after lower limb amputation in the patient with diabetic foot lesions. Materials and Methods: Between May 2005 and June 2009, 88 patients who underwent lower limb amputation were analyzed. Group 1 consisted of 73 patients who didn't have a ipsilateral reamputation after lower limb amputation and group 2 consisted of 15 patients who underwent reamputation. We compared several factors between two groups, such as age, gender, BMI, ABI, Wagner classification, wound culture, site of amputation, vascular surgery, the period of diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure. Results: Fifteen (17%) of 88 patients had a ipsilateral limb reamputation and 13 patients (87%) of them underwent reamputation within 6 months. When we compared the two groups, average age was 59.3 (range, 48-74 years); 62.9(range, 44-78 years). Age was significantly associated with reamputation rate (p=0.02) and no reamputation after initial amputation above ankle joint was found. Other factors did not show statistically difference between both groups. Conclusion: There were no significant difference between diabetic limb amputation and reamputation group in our concerned risk factors except age and amputation level. There should be careful consideration when determine level of amputation in diabetic foot lesions especially in elder patients.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2015

Objective : Walking with a Material handling is an activity frequently undertaken by agricultural workers in Korea, due to the nature of their work. This study aimed to investigate differences in biomechanical variables according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limbs when walking with a heavy load, and to use this as basic data in the design of various working environments to reduce the skeletomuscular burden on the knee joint. Method : The study subjects comprised of 22 right-foot dominant adult men and women aged between 20 and 23 years. The subjects were divided into a varus or valgus group according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limb by using radiographic findings. The subjects walked without any load and with a load of 10%, 20%, or 30% of their body weight held in front of them. The Kwon3d XP program was used to calculate biomechanical variables. Results : The flexion/extension moment of the knee joint showed a decreasing trend with increased load, irrespective of the mechanical alignment of the lower limb, while the varus group did not show normal compensatory action when supported by one leg at the point of maximum vertical ground reaction force. In addition, in terms of the time taken, subjects showed no difficulties in one-foot support time up to 20%/BW, but at 30%/BW, despite individual differences, there was an increase in single limb. The increased load resulted in a decrease in the ratio of standing phase to ensure physical stability. The valgus group showed a trend of increasing the stability of their center of mass with increasing load, through higher braking power in the early standing phase. Conclusion : In conclusion, although there was no statistical difference in biomechanical variables according to the mechanical alignment of the lower limbs, the varus group showed a more irregular walking pattern with a Material handling than the valgus group, partially proving the association between lower limb alignment and walking with a Material handling.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.583-595
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of lower limb joint angles computed with the software ImageJ during jumping movements. Background: Kinematics is the study of bodies in motion without regard to the forces or torques that may produce the motion. The most common method for collecting motion data uses an imaging and motion-caption system to record the 2D or 3D coordinates of markers attached to a moving object, followed by manual or automatic digitizing software. Above all, passive optical motion capture systems (e.g. Vicon system) have been regarded as the gold standards for collecting motion data. On the other hand, ImageJ is used widely for an image analysis as free software, and can collect the 2D coordinates of markers. Although much research has been carried out into the utilizations of the ImageJ software, little is known about their reliability. Method: Seven healthy female students participated as the subject in this study. Seventeen reflective markers were attached on the right and left lower limbs to measure two and three-dimensional joint angular motions. Jump performance was recorded by ten-vicon camera systems (250Hz) and one digital video camera (240Hz). The joint angles of the ankle and knee joints were calculated using 2D (ImageJ) and 3D (Vicon-MX) motion data, respectively. Results: Pearson's correlation coefficients between the two methods were calculated, and significance tests were conducted (${\alpha}=1%$). Correlation coefficients between the two were over 0.98. In Vicon-MX and ImageJ, there is no systematic error by examination of the validity using the Bland-Altman method, and all data are in the 95% limits of agreement. Conclusion: In this study, correlation coefficients are generally high, and the regression line is near the identical line. Therefore, it is considered that motion analysis using ImageJ is a useful tool for evaluation of human movements in various research areas. Application: This result can be utilized as a practical tool to analyze human performance in various fields.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.317-332
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• 2018

Purpose: Patients with tibial fractures can have functional problems with balance and gait, as well as lower extremity muscle weakness. This case report aimed to describe the effect of hip joint strengthening exercises using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on balance and gait and lower limb function in a patient with tibia fracture. Methods: One patient diagnosed with tibial fracture was treated for seven weeks with the basic procedure, pattern, and technique of PNF for a hip joint strengthening exercise. Results: The results of pre- and post-intervention treatment showed improvements in physical function and structure in the clinical tests, including the manual strength test; the modified Ashworth scale; sensory evaluation; balance, sit-to-stand, and gait performance; and evaluation of lower limb function. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that the use of theory-based proprioceptive neuromuscular stimulation for hip joint strengthening exercises positively affects patients' functional improvement in tibial fracture patients, and this may be used as a therapeutic exercise method for those with orthopedic problems in the lower extremities. One limitation of this study was that it was performed on only one tibia fracture patient, which makes it difficult to extend the treatment effects to all patients with this condition.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the periodicity of the lower extremity joint flexion/extension angle to compare the local stability between young and elderly women during walking on a treadmill. Method: Eighteen young women (mean $age=21.2{\pm}1.6y$; mean $mass=57.1{\pm}6.1kg$; mean $height=1.61{\pm}0.04m$) and 18 elderly women (mean $age=66.4{\pm}1.2y$; mean $mass=55.4{\pm}8.3kg$; mean $height=1.56{\pm}0.04m$) participated in this study. Approximate entropy (ApEn) was used to determine the periodicity in the lower limb joint angles. Results: The ApEn values of the two groups were statistically greater in the surrogate data test than in the original time series data (p<.05). The periodicity of the hip and ankle flexion/extension angles decreased in the elderly women group compared with the young women group (p<.05). The periodicity of the lower extremity joint flexion/extension angle showed that the ankle joint increased dominatingly in both groups (p<.05); the hip joint decreased compared with the knee joint in the young women group; and the knee joint decreased compared with the hip joint in the elderly women group (p<.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that the lower extremity joint flexion/extension angles of the young and elderly women during walking contained random noises as well as biological signals. In addition, the differences in the periodicity in the lower extremity joint between the young and elderly women may provide some insight in predicting potential falls and be used as a characteristic indicator for determining local stability in elderly women during walking.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 2004

The prosthesis of current commercialized apparatus has considerable problems, requiring improvement. Especially, LLP(Lower Limb Prosthesis)-related problems have improved, but it cannot provide normal walking because, mainly, the gait control of the LLP does not fit with patient's gait manner. To solve this problem, HCI((Human Computer Interaction) that adapts and controls LLP postures according to patient's gait manner more effectively is studied in this research. The proposed control technique has 2 steps： 1) the multilayer neural network forecasts angles of gait of LLP by using the angle of normal side of lower limbs； and 2) the adaptive neural controller manages the postures of the LLP based on the predicted joint angles. According to the experiment data, the prediction error of hip angles was 0.32［deg.］, and the predicted error of knee angles was 0.12［deg.] for the estimated posture angles for the LLP. The performance data was obtained by applying the reference inputs of the LLP controller while walking. Accordingly, the control performance of the hip prosthesis improved by 80% due to the control postures of the LLP using the reference input when comparing with LQR controller.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1995

Recently limb-salvage operation is widely used for the treatment of malignant bone tumor. But distal leg is out of range of limb-salvage operation due to its technical problem. We report satisfactory limb-salvage operation with tumor prosthesis in 3 cases of osteosarcoma of the distal tibia and fibula. Two cases involved in the tibia and 1 case in the fibula. Average age at operation was 23 years. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy were performed in all 3 cases. We used custom made tumor prosthesis which is designed by Seoul National University Orthopaedic Department. Overall Functional Evaluations by Enneking rating system were good in all 3 cases. All cases are CDF(continuosly disease free since the surgical procedure) state at mean follow-up 2 year and 9 months. In conclusion limb-salvage with tumor prosthesis is useful treatment modality for malignant bone tumor of distal tibia and fibula. Good functional results and few complications suggests limb salvage of distal lower leg may be replaceable with B-K amputation.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to determine the biomechanical effect of wearing the mouthguard on the lower limb during drop landing. Nine male university students who have no musculoskeletal disorder were recruited as the subjects. Linear velocity, angular velocity, vertical GRF, loading rate, joint moment, and lower extremity muscle activity were determined for each subject. For each dependent variable, paired t-test was performed to test if significant difference existed between with mouthguard (WM) and without mouthguard (WOM) conditions (p<.05). The results showed that linear velocity, angular velocity, vertical GRF and loading rate were no significant difference between the two groups. The inversion moment of the ankle joint was increased in WM compared to WOM. Average IEMG values from BF, TA, and LG in WM were significantly greater than corresponding values in WOM during IP phase. This indicates that wearing mouthguard played a vital role in muscle tuning for maintaining joint stability of the lower limb and preventing injury.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.430-433
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a four week unilateral isokinetic exercise program applied to ankle on the one-leg stance balance performance of ipsilateral and contralateral lower-limbs. Methods: Subjects were randomly assigned to either a right ankle training program (n=12) or a control group (n=12). The training group received unilateral ankle isokinetic exercise of the dominant side for 4 weeks, whereas control group did not. Ipsilateral and contralateral one-leg balance were measured before and after intervention using the Biodex Balance System. Results: Improvements of stability scores, such as APSI, MLSI, and OSI, from pre-test to post-test were significantly different greater for the training group when the control. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest unilateral ankle strengthening exercise transfers benefit to the untrained limb by a cross-education effect, and that this type of exercise should be considered to improve one-leg standing balance of trained and untrained lower-limbs.