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To analyze the amount of weight-bearing during tilt table increments, with a review of neutral and unilateral knee flexion postures.
There were 17 healthy participants enrolled in this study. The subjects were tilted from 10° to 90°, and their body weight was measured at each 10° increment. In the first test, both plantar pressures, with the subjects in neutral posture, were recorded. During the second and third tests, the angle of inclination was thus recorded and increased, with the subjects in unilateral knee flexion posture; flexion was maintained at 25° by attaching a cylindrical support to the tilt table at the level of the popliteal fossa.
The study was divided into two types of postures: neutral and unilateral knee flexion. The percentage of body weight (%BW) between each leg during neutral posture was noted as not being statistically significant. The %BW of one side during tilt table inclination was significantly different between the two postures at 10° to 80° (p<0.05). The weight during unilateral knee flexion posture was lower as analyzed, regardless of tilt table inclination compared with that in neutral posture. We note that fifty percent of the ratio of %BW was noted at 33.12° and 38.76° in neutral and flexion postures, respectively.
The unilateral knee flexion could induce the effect of decreased body weight compared with non-flexion side. The results of this study will help in setting a safe and quantitative percentage of weight-bearing on the lower extremity during tilt training.
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To investigate the general characteristics of video display terminal (VDT) workers with lower extremity pain, to identify the risk factors of work-related lower extremity pain, and to examine the relationship between work stress and health-related quality of life.
A questionnaire about the general characteristics of the survey group and the musculoskeletal symptom was used. A questionnaire about job stress used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale and medical outcome study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) to assess health-related quality of life.
There were 1,711 subjects in the lower extremity group and 2,208 subjects in the control group. Age, sex, hobbies, and feeling of loading affected lower extremity pain as determined in a crossover analysis of all variables with and without lower extremity pain. There were no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of job stress and SF-36 values of the pain and control groups.
Job stress in VDT workers was higher than average, and the quality of life decreased as the stress increased. Factors such as younger age, women, hobbies other than exercise, and feeling of loading influenced lower extremity pain of workers. Further long-term follow-up and supplementary studies are needed to identify risk factors for future lower extremity pain, taking into account ergonomic factors such as worker's posture.
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Sciatic nerve injury after stretching exercise is uncommon. We report a case of an 18-year-old female trained dancer who developed sciatic neuropathy primarily involving the tibial division after routine stretching exercise. The patient presented with dysesthesia and weakness of the right foot during dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. The mechanism of sciatic nerve injury could be thought as hyperstretching alone, not caused by both hyperstretching and compression. Electrodiagnostic tests and magnetic resonance imaging revealed evidence of the right sciatic neuropathy from the gluteal fold to the distal tibial area, and partial tear of the left hamstring origin and fluid collection between the left hamstring and ischium without left sciatic nerve injury. Recovery of motor weakness was obtained by continuous rehabilitation therapy and some evidence of axonal regeneration was obtained by follow-up electrodiagnostic testing performed at 3, 5, and 12 months after injury.
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Typical venous malformations are easily diagnosed by skin color changes, focal edema or pain. Venous malformation in the skeletal muscles, however, has the potential to be missed because their involved sites are invisible and the disease is rare. In addition, the symptoms of intramuscular venous malformation overlaps with myofascial pain syndrome or muscle strain. Most venous malformation cases have reported a focal lesion involved in one or adjacent muscles. In contrast, we have experienced a case of intramuscular venous malformation that involved a large number of muscles in a lower extremity extensively.
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Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and prosthetic uses of lower extremity amputee in one Korean county.
Method: We asked community health worker in Hwa Sung Goon to recruit lower extremity amputees. We contacted them by telephone and tried to know their prosthetic uses, adaptations and their behavior about prosthetic usage. Also, we recruited all lower extremity amputees in Hwa Sung Goon.
Results: In Hwa Sung Goon, the prevalence of lower extremity amputees was 35 persons per 100,000. 93.8% of them had prostheses, more than half of them were not satisfied with their prosthetic use. For last 10 years, they changed into new prosthesis per 2.3 years.
Conclusion: In one Korean county, the prevalence of lower extremity amputees was 0.03%. Most of them used their prosthesis, and walked independently. Their compliances with rehabilitative intervention were very low.
Objective: To evaluate the clinical features of lower extremity amputees and the process of prosthetic fitting and its use at follow up and to know the effects of prosthetic rehabilitation on adaptation to prosthesis and its long-term use.
Method: One hundred and twenty four patients who underwent amputation surgery in 3 major hospitals in Korea from 1990 to 1997 were enrolled.
They were evaluated by reviewing of medical records for anthropometry, level of amputation, causes of amputation, other coincidental medical problems, general physical states and followed up by telephone and mail questionnaire with respect to general outcome, prosthetic fitting, satisfaction of prosthesis, state of prosthetic use, functional state of prosthetic ambulation.
Results: The most common cause of amputation was trauma. The mean time to fit the prosthesis was 4.1 months and only 38 patients was supervised by rehabilitation programs. The patients who were supervised by rehabilitation program were fitted and able to ambulate significantly earlier than those who were not. They wore and used prosthesis significantly more often than those who were not supervised. The patients with above knee amputation who were supervised were significantly independent with walking aids.
Conclusion: Rehabilitation training program enables amtupees to be fitted and walk earlier with prosthesis. Also, this program lowered the dependency on walking aids in above knee amputees.
Objective: Lower extremity orthoses are important in the rehabilitation of the patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury. But it is unknown how much they are used in the social activity after the discharge from the hospital. This study was carried out to investigate the status of using orthosis in social activity and complaints about orthosis.
Method: The questionnaires were given to 42 cases with stroke and 17 cases with traumatic brain injury.
Results: The user of lower extremity orthosis in social activity were 55.9%, and the causes of disuse were patient's poor condition, improved gait pattern, inappropriate design and defect of orthosis, and patient's refusal. The degree of satisfaction with orthosis for comfort, external appearance and weight were 79.3%, 86.2%, and 72.4%, respectively.
Conclusion: Physiatrists should give more attention in orthosis at follow-up of patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury and make efforts to improve function and external appearance of orthosis.