• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.156-163
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• 1995

An experimental protocol was developed and tested in this study in order to quantify the motor control capability of the trunk movement for both healthy subjects and low-back pain (LBP) patients. Information processing capacity (bits/second) (Fitts, 1954) and dynamic motor perfor- mance such as flexion/extension velocity and acceleration were measured as motor control parameters under the controlled range of motion (ROM). In this study, the original experimental propocol (Kim et al., 1993, 1994) was re-designed to reduce the length of the test via a series of statistical analyses for clinical application. The accuracy of the shortened protocol was statistically examined and indicated no difference conpared to the original protocol in terms of evaluating information processing capacity. This protocol was also tested among ten healthy subjects and ten LBP patients for validation purpose. The results showed that the information processing capacity was not significantly diffenent between two groups due to the large variation although there was an apparent mean difference. Average movement time showed a significant increase in LBP patients com- pared to healthy subjects. In conclusion, it was found that the new short experimental protocol could quantify the motor control capability of neuromuscular system of the trunk and also showed the applicability to patient population.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 2006

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect intentional contraction of abdominal muscles during lifting above shoulder on the muscles activities of the lower trunk and on the degree of lumbar extension. Fifteen healthy adult males were selected as test subjects. A 5kg weight was raised to the shoulder level, 20cm, and 40cm above the shoulder level. EMG activities of all muscles except the rectus abdominis were significantly greater when subjects were asked to contract their abdominal muscles intentionally during lifting(p<0.05). Degree of lumbar extension also significantly decreased with intentional abdominal contraction during the lifting. Also, degree of lumbar extension significantly increased with increase in lifting height(p<0.05). The results of this study show that intentional contraction of abdominal muscles during lifting above shoulder increases the EMG activities of external abdominis oblique, internal abdominis oblique, and erector spinae.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.76-88
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• 2001

Back extension exercises have been used for rehabilitation of the injured low back, prevention of injury, and fitness training programs. However, excessive loading on low back can exacerbate existing structural weakness. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activity of low back muscles during back extension exercises. Twenty healthy male subject s were evaluated. Electromyographic (EMG) activities of low back muscles at L1 and L5 level were recorded during seven different back extension exercises and two reference tasks by surface EMG and saved for data analysis. Reference tasks of lifting 20% and 40% of their body weight were included for comparison. The result were as follows: 1) Single-arm extension and single-leg extension exercises on quadruped position appeared to constitute a low-risk exercise for initial extensor strengthening. 2) When arm extension was combined with contralateral leg extension on quadruped position, EMG activities of low back muscles were increased. 3) EMG activity of low back muscles was highest during the trunk extension exercises on prone position. 4) EMG activities of low back muscles during arm and leg extension exercises on quadruped position were less than those of reference task of lifting 40% of their body weight. These result s have important implications for progressive back extensor muscle strengthening exercises in patients with back pain.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.213-221
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was a motion analysis of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation patterns which is scapular and pelvis patterns, upper extremity patterns, lower extremity patterns, trunk patterns. The patterns combine motion in sagittal plane for flextion and extension, coronal or frontal plane for abduction and adduction, transverse plane for rotation. The patterns composed of mass movement pattern of the limbs and trunk muscles. Every pattern can change by changing the activity of the middle joint in the extremity patterns and changing the patient's positions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.93-99
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• 2015

Economic burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorder(WMDs) is increasing. Known causes of WMDs include improper posture, repetition, load, and temperature of workplace. Among them, improper postures play an important role. A smart sensor called SensorTag is employed to estimate the trunk postures including flexion-extension, lateral bend, and the trunk rotational speeds. Measuring gravitational acceleration vector in the smart sensor along the tri-orthogonal axes offers an orientation of the object with the smart sensor attached to. The smart sensor is light in weight and has small form factor, making it an ideal wearable sensor for body posture measurement. Measured data from the smart senor is wirelessly transferred for analysis to a smartphone which has enough computing power, data storage and internet-connectivity, removing need for additional hardware for data post-processing. Based on the estimated body postures, WMDs risks can be conviently gauged by using existing WMDs risk assesment methods such as OWAS, RULA, REBA, etc.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.137-146
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• 1997

External linkage type spine motion analysis was developed for relative trunk motion respect to the pelvis. A special programs for calculation of the relative angular motion and for graphical display were also developed. The developed device assured its accuracy and conveniency after application to 15 normal vol- unteers. Compare to the normal subjects, 18 patients treated with fixations and decompression surgery showed relatively large coupling motion. Optimal trajectory of the trunk motion derived from mathematical model in flexion and extension matched well with measurement for normal subjects.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.11-23
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• 1998

Dynamic motion difference between normal subjects and low-back pain (LBP) patients has been investigated in terms of kinematic variables such as range of motion, velocity and acceleration of the back and hip. Ten healthy subjects and ten LBP patients were recruited in this study. Electro-goniometer such as Lumbar Motion Monitor and Hip Monitor have been used for quantitative measurement of the trunk motion during repetitive flexion and extension for ten seconds. Results indicated that the velocity and acceleration of the back and hip were important parameters to quantitatively identify LBP patients. The consistency of cyclic trunk motion and the relationship between the back and hip were measured in terms of Variance Ratio and Phase Angle in order to accurately assess the motion characteristics of LBP patients. In particular, the hip motion has been proven to be a very important factor in describing the kinematics of damaged lower back. The functional evaluation technique suggested in this study will be a tool to assist physicians for an accurate diagnosis and timely rehabilitation along with current image diagnosis techniques.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1556-1566
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Nurida-Ball exercise on isokinetic muscle function, spinal alignment, and dynamic balance capacity in middle-aged men. All middle-aged men(n=16) were divided into 2 groups: Ball exercise(BE, n=8) and control(CON, n=8) group. BE group performed the Nurida-Ball exercise(30 min/day, 3 days/week, 8 weeks) and isokinetic knee and trunk muscle function, spinal alignment, and dynamic balance capacity were measured. All of the measured variables calculated the mean and standard deviation and verified normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The independent t-test method and the Paired t-test method were then analyzed to identify differences between groups. This study found that isokinetic knee and trunk muscle function was significantly strengthened in the BE compared with CON group by increasing peak torque(PT) of right and left knee extension(60°/sec, p<0.01, respectively), average power(AP) of right and left knee extension(60°/sec, p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively), and PT of right knee flexion(180°/sec, p<0.05) and AP of right knee extension(180°/sec, p<0.05). In the change of isokinetic trunk muscle function, only PT of trunk extension(180°/sec) was increased in the BE compared with the CON group(p<0.05). In addition, Nurida-ball exercise can improve the spinal alignment by reducing the trunk inclination(p<0.05) in the BE compared with the CON group. Finally, dynamic balance capacity was also enhanced in the BE compared with the CON group by decreasing the score of overall balance index(OBI, p<0.01) and Antero-posterior balance index(p<0.05) in the Stage-6, and OBI(p<0.05) in the Stage-1. This result demonstrated that Nurida-ball exercise may improve spinal alignment, dynamic balance capacity, and isokinetic muscle function, which might be an effective way for the improvement of health-related fitness in middle-aged men.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.85-95
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between the segments of the body, the three dimensional anatomical angle during One Hand Backhand Stroke and Two Hand Backhand in tennis. For the movement analysis three dimensional cinematographical method(APAS) was used and for the calculation of the kinematic variables a self developed program was used with the LabVIEW 6.1 graphical programming(Johnson, 1999) program. By using Eular's equations the three dimensional anatomical Cardan angles of the joint and racket head direction were defined. 1. In three dimensional maximum linear velocity of racket head the X axis and Y axis(horizontal direction) showed $-11.04{\pm}2.69m/sec$, $-9.31{\pm}0.49m/sec$ before impact, the z axis(vertical direction) maximum linear velocity of racket head did not show at impact but after impact this will resulted influence upon hitting ball. It could be suggest that Y axis velocity of racket head influence on ball direction and z axis velocity influence on ball spin after impact. The stance distance between right foot and left foot was mean $75.4{\pm}5.86cm$ during one hand backhand stroke and $72.6{\pm}4.67cm$ during two hand backhand stroke. 2. The three dimensional anatomical angular displacement of trunk in interna rotation-external rotation showed most important role in backhand stroke. and is follwed by flexion-extension. the three dimensional anatomical angular displacement of trunk did not show significant difference between one hand backhand stroke and two hand backhand stroke but the three dimensional anatomical angular displacement of trunk was bigger than one hand backhand stroke. 3. while backhand stroke, the flexion-extension and adduction-abduction of right shoulder joint showed significant different between one hand backhand stroke and two hand backhand stroke. the three dimensional anatomical angular displacement of right shoulder joint showed more flex and abduct in one hand backhand stroke. 4. The three dimensional anatomical angular displacement of left shoulder showed flexion, adduction, and external rotation at impact. after impact, The angular displacement as adduction-abduction of left shoulder changed motion direction as abduction. angular displacement of left shoulder as flexion-extension showed bigger than the right shoulder.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 2011

A high prevalence of protected horiculture farmer's work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (MSDs) have been reported in precedent studies. One of the tasks required ergonomic intervention to reduce the musculo-skeletal risks is the task of harvesting. The purpose of this study is to evaluate quantitatively the spinal load of worker harvesting with squatting posture to predict and prevent musculo-skeletal risks. Spinal load in Squatting posture with asymmetric trunk motion were analyzed. Before evaluating spinal load on harvesting worker by bio-mechanical approach, it is needed to validate human model. In this study, ADAMS LifeMOD human model shows satisfactory results, comparing with already validated model's results or measured results. While worker reached arms (20%, 40%, 70% arm reach) with various asymmetric trunk motion (0, 45, 90 degree), their spinal loads (extension, twisting and lateral bending moment) were evaluated. In case of extensor moment at lumbo-sacral joint, the more the arm reach got increased, the moment increased. however, in case of twisting moment and lateral bending moment, the more both arm reach and asymmetric trunk motion got increased, the moment increased significantly. The findings of this study suggest that it need to be determine the spinal load, especially twisting, lateral bending moment in evaluating musculo-skeletal workload in squatting posture.