title: [Clinically anatomic study on the relation between the form of pleural cupula and its surrounding commonly-used acupoints].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relation of the form of pleural cupula of the normal adult with safety of acupuncture at commonly-used acupoints around the pleural cupula.
  
  
  METHODS
  The safe depth for the commonly-used acupoints around the pleural cupula and the relation with the form of pleural cupula were investigated in 46 adult corpses with small Kirschner wire location and arrangement dissection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The width of the pleural cupula projection equal to clavicle medial 1/3 accounted for 32. 6% of all the corpses, and the width of the pleural cupula projection more than clavicle medial 1/3 accounted for 59. 8% of all the corpses, the width of the pleural cupula projection less than clavicle medial 1/3 and pleural cupula medial margin located at the sternoclavicular joint medial accounted for 7.6% of all the corpses. The observed points such as Tiantu (CV 22), Qishe (ST 11), Jianjing (GB 21), Dingchuan (EX-B1), Dazhu (BL 11) which were considered be not related to the pleural cupula. When acupuncture is carried out according to criteria of acupoint location and needling direction, and the needle exceeded a limit, the pleural menbrane will be broken and induce destruction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Position and form of the pleural cupula have anatomical relation to acupuncture accident for needling the points around the superior pleural cupula, which should be played attention to.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Fujian College of TCM, Fuzhou 350003, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bing-huang
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yong-cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Wen-guang
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qing-hui
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Que
authors.forename: Xing-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Wei-guo
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jia-dong
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010994:Pleura / Q000033:anatomy & histology*