The location of organs and tissues at the tip of acupuncture needle inserted in acupuncture points was studied on the human transverse sections.
A female, japanese, cadaver (139cm long, and 52kg in weight) was fixed with an aldehyde mixture and frozen for 3 weeks at -30°C. Then the cadaver was cut into blocks along the transverse planes perpendicular to the median plane at each point of Bladder meridian.
This report describes the depth of organs and tissues in 5 transverse planes from Hiyu (BL, 20 Bladder meridian) to KiKaiyu (BL, 24 Bladder meridian).
At Hiyu (BL, 20), acupuncture needle penetrates through 5mm thick skin, 4mm thick hypodermis, and 30mm thick deep back muscies in thick was respectively. The needle reches to the 12th rib at 39mm away from the surface.
At Iyu (BL, 21), the needle penetrates through the skin, hypodermis and deepback muscles of 5, 3, 28mm in thickness respectively. The needle reaches to the 1st lumber at 36mm away from the surface.
At Sanshoyu (BL, 22), needle pentrares through the skin hypodermis and deep back muscles of 5, 5, 26mm in thickness respectively. The needle reaches to the 2nd lumber at 36mm away from the surface.
At Jinyu (BL, 23), the needle penetrates through the skin, hypodermis and deep back muscles of 4, 5, 32mm in thickness respectively. The needle reaches to the 3rd lumber at 41mm away from the surface.
At Kikaiyu (BL, 24), the needle penetrates through the skin, hypodermis and deep back muscles of 4, 5, 30mm in thickness respectively. The needle reaches to the 4th lumber at 39mm away from the surface.
The depth of acupuncture points studies was discussed from the clinical points of view.