ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study on needling safe depth of Fengfu (GV 16) with CT, so as to provide reference for safe needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16) in clinical acupuncture treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-one adult volunteers were divided into 3 groups, a thin person group, a moderate person group and a fat person group according to Luo's indexes, and computer-aided tomography (CT) was used to measure the needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The safe depths of perpendicular needling of Fengfu (GV 16) were different for persons of different somatotypes. The safe needling depth was (27.73 +/- 3.45) mm for the thin person group, (30.78 +/- 2.90) mm for the moderate person group, and (33.39 +/- 4.27) mm for the fat person group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The safe needling depth < or = the dangerous depth x 75% can be used for reference for the safe needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16) for different somatotypes persons.</p>