A Cadaveric Study of Needle Insertion at Li11

Abstract

Adequate needling at LI11 ( Quchi ) can be achieved by perpendicular angulation of the needle so that the needle tip enters the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) muscle, which corresponds to the dermatomes and myotomes of the fifth and sixth cervical spinal segments.1 Although indirect methods using modern technology can be used to examine the variable effects of different depths of insertion at a given acupuncture point,2 direct observation can be achieved by cadaveric dissection. In this study, we directly observed the anatomical relationships relevant to acupuncture needling at LI11, in order to inform the standardisation of needling depth at this particular point. For this study, a routine dissection was performed on six Korean cadavers (table 1) with no known pathology of the forearm; the cadavers were fixed with 10% formalin in the Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Jeju National University. A stainless steel needle with a length of 30 mm and a diameter of 0.6 mm (Whashin Industrial Co, Ltd, …