Background: Changes in foot sole shape can result in plantar muscle weakness, lack of proprioception, increased ankle instability, and an inability to balance. Objectives: To investigated whether different floor surfaces influenced the effect that short-foot exercises have on the foot core system of healthy individuals. Design: Pretest-posttest control group experimental design. Methods: This exercise shortens the length of the foot by raising the medial longitudinal arch, strengthening the intrinsic muscle of the sole, and maintaining the shape of the medial longitudinal arch. Results: There was a significant difference in the angle of the medial longitudinal arch in the mat exercise group (MEG) and vibration exercise group (VEG) before and after the intervention (P<.05). As the arch angle decreased, the arch height increased. Post hoc analysis showed that there was no difference between the floor exercise group (FEG) and MEG or between the MEG and VEG (P>.05). In terms of the weight distribution index (WDI, there was a significant difference in the MEG and VEG (P<.05) but not in the FEG before and after the intervention (P>.05). The post hoc analysis results showed that there was no difference between the FEG and MEG (P>.05). Conclusion: Various methods to improve the strength of intrinsic muscles of the sole are more effective than no stimulation, and that short-foot exercise combined with sensory stimulation can be recommended for maintaining and increasing the medial longitudinal arch.

Background: Pronated foot posture (PFP) contributes to excessive dynamic knee valgus (DKV). Although foot orthoses such as medial arch support (MAS) are widely and easily used in clinical practice and sports, few studies have investigated the effect of MAS on the improvement of DKV during stair descent in individuals with a PFP. Moreover, no studies reported the degree of improvement in DKV according to the severity of PFP when MAS was applied. Objects: This study aimed to examine the immediate effect of MAS on DKV during stair descent and determine the correlation between navicular drop distance and changes in DKV when MAS is applied. Methods: Twenty individuals with a PFP (15 males and five females) participated in this study. The navicular drop test was used to measure PFP severity. The frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) was calculated under two conditions, with and without MAS application, using 2-dimensional video analysis. Results: During stair descent, the FPPA with MAS (173.1° ± 4.7°) was significantly greater than that without MAS (164.8° ± 5.8°) (p < 0.05). There was also a significant correlation between the navicular drop distance and improvement in the FPPA when MAS was applied (r = 0.453, p = 0.045). Conclusion: MAS application can affect the decrease in DKV during stair descent. In addition, MAS application should be considered to improve the knee alignment for individuals with greater navicular drop distance.

Background: The longitudinal arch is important for individuals with pes planus. The toe spread out exercise (TSO) has been widely used to continuously support the longitudinal arch by increasing the abductor hallucis (AbdH) muscle activation. However, the AbdH muscle is commonly lack of the sufficient activation during the TSO especially in individuals with pes planus. Objects: This study was performed to investigate the effect of arch support on the muscle activity and strength of the AbdH during TSO in standing position in individuals with pes planus. Methods: Twenty subjects with pes planus between 20 and 30 years of age participated in this study. The muscle activity and strength of the AbdH were measured using surface EMG system and the Smart KEMA tensiometer system. The AbdH muscle was evaluated during TSO between individuals with and without longitudinal arch support in standing position. The longitudinal arch was supported by using the insole. The paired t-test was used. The level of statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: The muscle activity and strength of the AbdH during TSO with arch support in standing position was significantly greater than that without arch support. Conclusion: The muscle activity and strength of the AbdH during TSO in standing position can be influenced by the longitudinal arch support in individuals with pes planus. The AbdH strengthening during TSO in standing with arch support can be recommended especially in individuals with pes planus in the clinical settings.

본 논문에서는 지반경계조건의 설정이 프리캐스트 아치구조물의 폭발저항성능 평가에 미치는 영향을 수치해석적 기법을 사용하여 파악하고자 하였다. 지반경계조건은 고정조건과 PML(perfectly matcher layer)을 이용한 경계조건의 두 가지로 적용하였으며, 폭발하중은 대상 구조물의 설계하중보다 큰 하중을 사용하여 경계조건의 영향을 명확히 비교할 수 있도록 하였다. 폭발압력의 분포 및 경로, 구조물에 발생하는 변위, 콘크리트의 파쇄여부, 콘크리트 및 철근의 응력을 비교․분석하였으며, PML을 적용하였을 때 지반 경계면에서 발생하는 반사파를 효과적으로 제거할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 또한, 이로 인해 구조물 기초부의 변위가 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 하지만, 콘크리트의 파쇄여부, 콘크리트 및 철근에 발생하는 응력을 포함한 전반적인 구조물의 거동에는 뚜렷한 차이가 발생하지 않았다. 따라서 방호시설의 설계를 목적으로 폭발시뮬레이션을 수행하는 경우에는 지반경계조건에 고정조건을 적용하였을 때 안전측의 결과를 얻을 수 있으며, 해석시간이 단축되는 이점도 있으므로 이러한 면을 종합적으로 고려하여 지반경계조건을 고정조건으로 적용하는 것이 합리적이라고 판단된다.

본 연구에서는 실대형 실험과 구조해석을 통하여 현장에서 사용되는 기둥-서까래-도리, 기둥-도리-방풍벽 접합부를 적용한 강관 골조 플라스틱 연동온실의 정적 구조 성능을 분석하였다. 실대형 재하실험 결과는 접합부를 강접합으로 가정한 구조해석 결과와 비교하여 구조물의 횡방향 강성과 각 부재의 하중분담률에서 많은 차이를 보였다. 동고 높이에서 측정한 수평변위는 실험과 구조해석의 차이가 40% 이었고 수직변위는 89%의 차이를 보였다. S3 부재의 발생응력을 기준으로 한 각 부재별 하중분담률을 비교한 결과 실험과 구조해석에서 두 배 이상의 차이를 보이는 부재가 있었으며, 하부측벽이음(S2), 기둥 상부(S7) 등 주요 부재의 실험결과가 구조해석의 하중분담률을 재현하지 않았다. 현장에서 사용하는 접합부가 충분한 강성을 확보하지 않음으로써 구조물에 작용하는 외력을 각 부재에 적절하게 전달하지 못했으며 이로 인해 구조물의 강성이 저하되는 현상이 나타났다. 설계 단계에서 일반적으로 구조 해석에 의해 결정되는 구조성능의 신뢰도는 접합부의 특성을 보다 면밀하게 고려했는지 여부에 따라 좌우 될 수 있다. 따라서 온실 구조 성능에 대한 신뢰성을 높이기 위해서는 온실에 사용되는 다양한 접합부를 고려할 수 있는 구조해석 기술의 개발이 필요하며 설계 기준에서 상세 설계 방법을 보다 명확히 규정해야 할 것으로 판단된다.

Background: Short foot exercise (SFex) is often prescribed and performed in the sport and rehabilitation fields to strengthen intrinsic foot muscles. However, SFex is difficult to perform because of lack of feedback methods. Objects: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of SFex with and without electromyography (EMG) biofeedback on the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of healthy individuals who maintained a static standing position. Methods: All participants (14 males and 12 females) were randomly divided into two groups (biofeedback and non-biofeedback groups). The EMG activity of the abductor hallucis (AbdH) and tibialis anterior (TA) and the MLA angle on the dominant leg side were measured with the participant in the standing position in the pre- and post-intervention conditions. The intervention session consisted of 15 minutes of SFex with (biofeedback group) or without (non-biofeedback group) EMG biofeedback. The groups were compared using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The post-intervention activities of the AbdH muscle (p<.05) and the AbdH/TA ratio (p<.05) were significantly greater in the biofeedback group than in the non-biofeedback group. The activity of the TA (p<.05) and the MLA angle (p<.05) in the biofeedback group were significantly lower in the post-intervention condition than in the pre-intervention condition. Conclusion: The present findings demonstrate that the combination of SFex and EMG biofeedback can effectively facilitate the muscle activity of the AbdH and strengthen the medial longitudinal arch.