筋負荷および主観評価からみた乳がん術後女性の補整具重量の検討

Abstract

The weight of breast pads worn by women for adjusting the breast shape after the removal of one breast owing to breast cancer surgery was evaluated from the viewpoint of muscle load and subjective feeling. Six females who had undergone breast cancer surgery participated as subjects. We conducted the following experiments: (i) electromyogram (EMG) measurements when using three types of pads made of silicone gel (weight: 189g), urethane foam (36g), and polyester padding (17g), respectively, and (ii) evaluating the subjective feeling when using a polyester pad with weights added in stages. The results showed that the lowest muscle load was observed for the most lightweight polyester pad among the three types of pads. Further, it was observed that the lighter the weight added to the polyester pad, the better is the comprehensive assessment, namely, the first main component obtained by principal component analysis. The balance evaluation did not depend on the breast volume of the healthy side.