Discussion on methods for locating Xuehai (SP10) acupoint

Abstract

The position of Xuehai (SP10) is clear, but its locating method is vague, resulting in the disunity of clinical application and even possibly affecting the curative effect. Also, when learning the meridians and acupoints, the beginners are often confused by this issue possibly due to: ① when the bone-length proportional measurement combined with anatomic symbol (combination method) was adopted, it is not clear that the patient should take a posture of knee extension or knee flexion; ② when the combination method used, it is difficult to find the highest point of muscle eminence in the case of patient with thin vastus medialis muscle and fuzzy body surface projection; ③the simple method for locating SP10 is widely used at present, can it replace the combination method to locate this acupoint accurately？Guided by these questions, we, in the present paper, reviewed the rela-ted textbooks, works and other literature to explore the standard position of SP10, and the standard and simple methods for locating this acupoint. Comprehending various opinions, we hold that SP10 should be positioned under the extended knee posture, then, the acupoint's horizontal ordinate "2 cun superior to the medial end of the base of the patella" is determined by using bone-length proportional measurement to measure 2 cun from the bottom to the tip of the patella. Then, the body surface anatomic symbol method is used, when, the patient is asked to stretch the leg and contract the vastus medialis muscle, the highest spot of muscular eminence is the SP10. If the patient's muscular protuberance is not obvious, the middle line between the medial and lateral margins of the vastus medialis muscle is used as the vertical ordinate, and its intersection with the abscissa is SP10. The simple method is easy in operation and has a reference value, but may frequently produce errors, hence, it is not a substitution for the combination method.