OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether the psoas major muscle, thought to be a key muscle for treatment of lower back pain, can be punctured at Shenshu(BL23).METHODS: Twelve dissected specimens were used for studying th...OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether the psoas major muscle, thought to be a key muscle for treatment of lower back pain, can be punctured at Shenshu(BL23).METHODS: Twelve dissected specimens were used for studying the needling pathway of BL23 by perpendicularly inserting the depth-measuring blade of a vernier caliper at BL23. Dimensions of psoas muscle were measured. Correlation studies were conducted. In addition, our samples were grouped by gender and underlying medical conditions for analysis.RESULTS: Half(50%) of the needle insertions successfully punctured psoas muscle. The mean depth of needle insertion to puncture psoas muscle(D_(min)) in the group with short-term underlying medical conditions was 38.0 mm(interquartile range 29.0–51.8 mm), approximately 6 mm deeper than 32.0(29.3–42.5) mm in the group with long-term health problems(P = 0.041). The cross-sectional area(CSA) of psoas muscle in the former group was on average approximately 1.5 times that of the latter group(P = 0.04). When the data were analysed by gender, the thickness of psoas muscle in the male group was 19.0(6.5–24.0) mm compared to 19.5(5.8–34.8) mm in the female group(P = 0.02). The age in the female group(P = 0.04) and the body length of the total group(P = 0.04) negatively correlated to D_(min).CONCLUSION: Needle insertion at BL23 might be able to puncture psoas muscle. Differences in the CSA of psoas muscle and D_(min) were observed in groups with short-term and long-term underlying medical conditions.展开更多
文摘OBJECTIVE: It is unknown whether the psoas major muscle, thought to be a key muscle for treatment of lower back pain, can be punctured at Shenshu(BL23).METHODS: Twelve dissected specimens were used for studying the needling pathway of BL23 by perpendicularly inserting the depth-measuring blade of a vernier caliper at BL23. Dimensions of psoas muscle were measured. Correlation studies were conducted. In addition, our samples were grouped by gender and underlying medical conditions for analysis.RESULTS: Half(50%) of the needle insertions successfully punctured psoas muscle. The mean depth of needle insertion to puncture psoas muscle(D_(min)) in the group with short-term underlying medical conditions was 38.0 mm(interquartile range 29.0–51.8 mm), approximately 6 mm deeper than 32.0(29.3–42.5) mm in the group with long-term health problems(P = 0.041). The cross-sectional area(CSA) of psoas muscle in the former group was on average approximately 1.5 times that of the latter group(P = 0.04). When the data were analysed by gender, the thickness of psoas muscle in the male group was 19.0(6.5–24.0) mm compared to 19.5(5.8–34.8) mm in the female group(P = 0.02). The age in the female group(P = 0.04) and the body length of the total group(P = 0.04) negatively correlated to D_(min).CONCLUSION: Needle insertion at BL23 might be able to puncture psoas muscle. Differences in the CSA of psoas muscle and D_(min) were observed in groups with short-term and long-term underlying medical conditions.