• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2022

Objectives Most of the acupuncture or dry needling points for trigger finger were limited around the metacarpophalangeal joint, A1 pulley, and flexor muscle tendon. Thus, this study aimed to report a case of a patient with trigger thumb which improved using dry needling on additional muscle points. Methods The author has investigated why additional points are needed including what its accompanying effects are. Dry needling and electro-dry needling have been conducted based on anatomical structure. Moreover, a follow-up observation was performed twice to evaluate if the effects of this treatment have been maintained. Treatment progress was evaluated using a numeric rating scale (NRS) and Quinnell's classification of trigger finger. Results After 28 days of treatment, NRS and Quinnell's trigger grade decreased significantly without adverse effects. The treatment effect has been maintained until follow-up observation. Conclusions Additional points are recommended for the radical treatment of trigger finger.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 1993

In many applications, the typical parallel-jaw end-effector of a robot arm has been remarkably satisfactory. But, it is not adequate for the applications such as complicated manipulation. In the study, a finger with 4 joints (so, having redundancy) was consturcted to investigate the characteristics of an articulated hand. Each joint was driven by one actuator, and the motor torque was transmited to each joint through a tendon-pulley system. In the context, major considerations for hardware design and the method to solve the inverse kinematics of a redundant manipulator were presented. Finally, the basic capabilities of an articulated hand were presented through experiments.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.397-403
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• 2012

Background Nonabsorbable sutures are favorable for repairing flexor tendons. However, absorbable sutures have performed favorably in an animal model. Methods Two-strand sutures using the interlocking modified Kessler method with polydioxanone absorbable sutures 4-0 were used to repair completely ruptured flexor tendons in 55 fingers from 41 consecutive patients. The medical records of average 42 follow up weeks were analyzed retrospectively. The data analyzed using the chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test was used for postoperative complications. The results were compared with those of other studies. Results Among the index, middle, ring, and little fingers were injured in 9, 17, 16, and 13 fingers, respectively. The injury levels varied from zone 1 to 5. Of the 55 digits in our study, there were 26 (47%) isolated flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) injuries and 29 (53%) combined FDP and with flexor digitorum superficialis injuries. Pulley repair was also conducted. Concomitant injuries of blood vessels and nerves were found in 17 patients (23 fingers); nerve injuries occurred in 5 patients (10 fingers). Two patients had ruptures (3.6%), and one patient had two adhesions (3.6%). Using the original Strickland criteria, all the patients were assessed to be excellent or good. Also, fibrosis and long-term foreign body tissue reactions such as stitch granuloma were less likely occurred in our study. Compared to the Cullen's report that used nonabsorbable sutures, there was no significant difference in the rupture or adhesion rates. Conclusions Therefore, this study suggests that appropriate absorbable core sutures can be used safely for flexor tendon repairs.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1160-1166
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• 2013

This paper presents feedforward controllers to improve the control performance of the motion and grasping force of a surgical instrument used in an MIS (Minimally Invasive Surgery) robot. The surgical instrument has a long distance between the drive motors and its active joints. Therefore, the gripper on the instrument is controlled by a cable drive mechanism, which generates a coupled motion between the wrist joint and the grip direction. In order to solve the problem, this paper analyzes the pulley composition of the surgical instrument and proposes feedforward controllers to eliminate the coupled motion. Furthermore, feedforward controllers to regulate the grasping force are proposed to deal with another coupling problem between the grasping force of the instrument and the motion of the instrument joints. The experimental results demonstrate the improved control performance of the motion and grasping force of the instrument.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.53-61
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serial ultrasonography (USG) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and to assess the re-tear rate and the re-tear time according to the tear sizes and the repair method. Materials and Methods: Between January 2008 and June 2008, 52 patients were treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, Of the 52 patients, 29 patients that had undergone more than six months follow-up underwent preoperative USG examinations and subsequent arthroscopic examinations. MRI and USG findings were compared with intraoperative results of arthroscopic examinations. The postoperative integrity of the rotator cuff was observed using serial USG examination performed postoperatively at two weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months. Results: Small to medium rotator cuff tear were identified in 10 patients where the double pulley suture bridge (DPSB) technique was performed; the re-tear rate was 20%. For 19 patients with large to massive rotator cuff tears, the re-tear rates was 100% for six patients who had undergone tendon to tendon (TT) repair, the re-tear rate was 50% for two patients who had undergone tendon to tendon and bone to tendon (TTBT) repair and the re-tear rate was 55% for11 patients where the DPSB technique was performed. Re-tear rates according to follow-up periods were 7% from two to six weeks, 66% from six weeks to three months and 27% from three to six months postoperatively. Conclusion: Serial USG examinations after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were useful to assess the re-tear rate and the re-tear time. In addition, USG examination were useful for treatment planning during postoperative rehabilitation.