Safe Needling Depth of Pungbu(GV) with MRI-a Retrospective Study

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to determine the safe needling depth of Pungbu(GV16) retrospectively by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods :We chose 114 Brain or C-spine MRI images from the Sang-Ji hospital picture archiving communication system. We measured the shortest distance from skin to cerebral dura mater passing by posterior edge of the foramen magnum on the sagittal view for the depth of Pungbu. We analyzed the differences between male and female measured values by using a student t-test. Results : The average depth of male insertion was 49.71±6.32 mm and the shortest depth of insertion was 36.29 mm. The average depth of female insertion was 39.84±5.25 mm and the shortest depth of insertion was 30.02 mm. The results showed a significant difference according to gender (p=0.00). Conclusions : The depth of male insertion is deeper than that of female, and the safe needling depth in the case of males is 36.29-67.35 mm, while the safe needling depth in the of females is 30.02-52.18 mm.