[Anatomic study on safe insertion of acupuncture needle in Qiuhou (EX-HN7) acupoint]

To explore the anatomical structure of acupuncture point Qiuhou (EX-HN7) area for safe insertion of acupuncture needle.

A total of 28 orbital specimens of adult corpses (14 men and 14 women) were randomly selected to be observed by anatomical sectioning and layering methods. The acupoint EX-HN7, located at the junction between the 1/4 of the outer boundary and 3/4 of the inner boundary of the infraorbital margin according to the "Standardization of Acupoint Position" implemented by the People's Republic of China, and marked first with a color pen, followed by cutting the head into horizontal sections along the cross line by using a cadaver cutter and measuring the distance between the skin and blood vessels and main nerves with a digimatic caliper. When the anatomic hierarchy was performed, the blood vessels and nerves in the orbit, the morphological characteristics of the structure around the needle body were particularly focused.

When an acupuncture needle was vertically inserted into EX-HN7 region, the tissues through which the needle passes are skin, subcutaneous tissue, orbicularis muscle, orbital adipose body, inferior oblique muscle and inferior orbital wall, respectively. When an acupuncture needle was inserted obliquely upward and along the inferior orbital wall to a depth of (26.5±1.7)mm, the needle tip met the posterior ciliary artery; when to a depth of (41.4±1.3)mm, it reached the superior ophthalmic vein. When inserted to a depth of (40.4±1.5)mm, the needle tip may damage the ophthalmic artery and optic nerve. When the acupuncture needle was inserted inferiorly and closely along the orbital inferior wall to a depth of (13.2±1.4)mm, the infraorbital artery in the suborbital sulcus would be hurt.

It is recommended that when insert vertically into a depth of 12.0 mm in EX-HN7, the acupuncture needle tip should be slightly inclined inward and posterior-upward, and the depth should not exceed 26.0 mm.