ABSTRACT
The accurate location of acupoints is the prerequisite for the efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion. Bone-length measurement, bone-proportional measurement, and proportional unit of the body measurement are commonly used in clinic for acupoints location. Based on the systematic review of the ancient literatures, this article discussed the meaning, evolution and relations of bone-length measurement, bone-proportional measurement, and proportional unit of the body measurement. It’s concluded that the bone-length measurement should be a benchmark in ancient anthropometry and an important basis for acupoints location. Bone proportional measurement, used in different genders, ages and body sizes, was based on the relatively stable proportional relations of various body parts, though some of the standards were adjusted in accordance with the correlation between meridians and acupoints. Location of points by proportional unit of the body simplified the application of bone-length measurement and bone proportional measurement, based on the ratio between short and long bones or the ratio of same body parts in anthropometry. However, proportional unit of the body measurement should be applied for the specific body parts. Bone-length measurement, bone-proportional measurement, and proportional unit of the body measurement are correspondingly the benchmark measurement, relative measurement, and simplified measurement.
ABSTRACT
Measuring the length of the proportional units of the lower limb and analyzing their interrelations showed that between genders there were significant differences in a length of one can of perpendicular proportional unit for various regions of the lower limb; within the same gender, there were different results in comparing the lengths of one of perpendicular proportional unit among various regions of the lower limb.
ABSTRACT
Measuring the length of the proportional units (PU) of different truncal parts in males and females and analyzing the relationship between these measurements showed that there was nosignificant gender difference in the length of one cun respectively for the perpendicular proportional units (PPU) of prothorax, epigastrium and flank but there were significant differences in the PPU of the hypogastrium, lateral thorax and hypochondrium and the horizontal proportional unit (HPU) of the back; within the same gender, there was no significant difference in the length ofone cun between the PPU of the prothorax and that of epigastrium and no significant difference betweenthe PPU of the flank and the HPU of the intermammillary region in males but there was a significant difference between PU of other parts.