[Objective]Traumatic pneumothorax in acupuncture treatment should be avoided. This study was designed to detect the safe depth of the thoracic area with acupuncture and was compared with other studies in the past.
[Methods]The Subjects were 187 cases, male: 90, female: 97, mean age: 67.8 (min-max: 23-91) and classified into 3groups (thin, normal, fatty) from BMI. MultiCT images were filmed in 3anatomical levels (the tracheal point (TP), scapular point (SP), shortest point (MsP) of the thoracic area and the distance between the skin and lung tissue on the display was measured (Osirixver3. statistics:ANOVA).
[Results]The distance between the skin and lung tissue were, average ±SD, TP 3.01 ± 0.79, SP 2.34 ± 0.65, MsP 2.14 ± 0.61 cm. The longest distance was 5.5 cm (TP), and the shortest was 0.9 cm (MsP). The differences between the body depths and TP and SP, and MsP were statistically significant (TP >SP >MsP). There was a positive correlation between BMI and body depth, and a negative correlation between age and body depth. From an anatomical point of view, TP seemed to coincide with BL38, SP seemed to coincide with BL40, and MsP seemed to coincide with BL41 or BL42.
[Conclusions]MultiCT was very useful for a measurement of the distance between skin and lung tissue scientifically. The results of this study were almost in agreement with other studies in the past. The results are informative in showing that the risk of traumatic pneumothorax might be reduced clinically. But it is too difficult to confirm what is a safe depth, and it is recommended to measure the body depth under the conditions that include clinical problems, for example, the positioning in the treatment of acupuncture. The concept of safe depth should be changed to a dangerous depth with acupuncture treatment.