In order to study the effect of muscle exercise on the medical expenditure of the elderly, a three-year exercise program focusing on muscle activity was performed by an intervention group. Individual yearly medical expenditures were collected by 20 participants of the exercise group aver aging 65.2 years of age and 23 control subjects averaging 68.4 years of age with National Health Insurance coverage. Yearly medical expenditures for the exercise group were significantly lower than those of the control group at one and two years after entry. The expenditures increased by 62.6% from 1997 to 1999 in the control group, whereas they increased by only 16.8% for the exer cise group. The results suggest the possibility of the effectiveness of muscle exercise on the reduction in medical expenditure among the elderly.

A case of a 51-year old male with pulmonary valve endocarditis accompanied by aortic regurgitation, and ruptured aneurysm of Valsalva sinus was reported. Repeated blood cultures grew α-streptococcus on a single occasion. After medical treatment, resection of pulmonary valve vegetation, resection and patch closure of aneurysm, and aortic valve replacement were performed successfully. Twenty one cases of pulmonary valve endocarditis reported in Japan, including our case, were collected and reviewed. Causative organism was streptococcus in 93% of cases. No case of intravenous drug abuse was found in this series. A variety of preexisting heart diseses were found in 20 cases out of 21 (95%). All these diseases were congenital ones, such as ven-tricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonary stenosis and ruptured aneurysm of Valsalva sinus. This fact means that jet lesion of pulmonary valve is a major predisposing factor of pulmonary valve endocarditis. Surgical procedures were reported in 12 cases: resection of vegetation in 4 cases, resection of pulmonary valve in 2, and pulmonary valve replacement in 5. Appropriate surgical procedures should be chosen, depending upon the activity of infective endocarditis, severity of destruction of the valve, and pulmonary vascular resistance.

Background: Le Fort I osteotomy is a highly effective treatment for skeletal jaw deformities and is commonly performed. High Le Fort I osteotomy is a modified surgical procedure performed for improving the depression of the cheeks by setting the osteotomy higher than the conventional Le Fort I osteotomy. Developments in three-dimensional (3D) technology have popularized the use of 3D printers in various institutions, especially in orthognathic surgeries. In this study, we report a safe and inexpensive method of performing a high Le Fort I osteotomy using a novel 3D device and piezosurgery, which prevent tooth root injury without disturbing the operation field for patients with a short midface and long tooth roots. Results: A 17-year-old woman presented with facial asymmetry, mandibular protrusion, a short midface, and long tooth roots. We planned high Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy. Prevention of damage to the roots of the teeth and the infraorbital nerve and accurate determination of the posterior osteotomy line were crucial for clinical success. Le Fort I osteotomy using 3D devices has been reported previously but were particularly large in size for this case. Additionally, setting the fixing screw of the device was difficult, because of the risk of damage to the roots of the teeth. Therefore, a different surgical technique, other than the conventional Le Fort I osteotomy and 3D device, was required. The left and right parts of the 3D device were fabricated separately, to prevent any interference in the surgical field. Further, the 3D device was designed to accurately cover the bone surface from the piriform aperture to the infra-zygomatic crest with two fixation points (the anterior nasal spine and the piriform aperture), which ensured stabilization of the 3D device. The device is thin and does not interfere with the surgical field. Safe and accurate surgical performance is possible using this device and piezosurgery. The roots of the teeth and the infraorbital nerve were unharmed during the surgery. Conclusions This device is considerably smaller than conventional devices and is a simple, low-cost, and efficient method for performing accurate high Le Fort I osteotomy.

Background: Le Fort I osteotomy is a highly effective treatment for skeletal jaw deformities and is commonly performed. High Le Fort I osteotomy is a modified surgical procedure performed for improving the depression of the cheeks by setting the osteotomy higher than the conventional Le Fort I osteotomy. Developments in three-dimensional (3D) technology have popularized the use of 3D printers in various institutions, especially in orthognathic surgeries. In this study, we report a safe and inexpensive method of performing a high Le Fort I osteotomy using a novel 3D device and piezosurgery, which prevent tooth root injury without disturbing the operation field for patients with a short midface and long tooth roots. Results: A 17-year-old woman presented with facial asymmetry, mandibular protrusion, a short midface, and long tooth roots. We planned high Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy. Prevention of damage to the roots of the teeth and the infraorbital nerve and accurate determination of the posterior osteotomy line were crucial for clinical success. Le Fort I osteotomy using 3D devices has been reported previously but were particularly large in size for this case. Additionally, setting the fixing screw of the device was difficult, because of the risk of damage to the roots of the teeth. Therefore, a different surgical technique, other than the conventional Le Fort I osteotomy and 3D device, was required. The left and right parts of the 3D device were fabricated separately, to prevent any interference in the surgical field. Further, the 3D device was designed to accurately cover the bone surface from the piriform aperture to the infra-zygomatic crest with two fixation points (the anterior nasal spine and the piriform aperture), which ensured stabilization of the 3D device. The device is thin and does not interfere with the surgical field. Safe and accurate surgical performance is possible using this device and piezosurgery. The roots of the teeth and the infraorbital nerve were unharmed during the surgery. Conclusions This device is considerably smaller than conventional devices and is a simple, low-cost, and efficient method for performing accurate high Le Fort I osteotomy.

To date, there have been limited reports on the efficacy of Kampo medicine in treating obsessive compulsive behaviors. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports on the efficacy of ryokeijutsukanto for obsessive compulsive behaviors. Here, we describe 2 cases of obsessive-compulsive behavior successfully treated with ryokeijutsukanto. Case 1 involved a 30-year-old female patient who presented with vague anxiety. As a result, she spent significant time engaging in compulsive behavior related to checking and was frequently tardy to work. She met the diagnostic criteria for obsessive compulsive disorder. We prescribed ryokeijutsukanto. Her compulsive behavior then improved from 40 minutes to 5 minutes in 56 days. Case 2 involved 57-year-old female patient who complained of not feeling refreshed in the morning. In addition, she had a feeling of gloom, daytime sleepiness and compulsive behavior of checking about 5 times whether windows were locked. We prescribed ryokeijutsukanto. In 14 days, her checking behavior then improved from 5 times to once. Other troublesome symptoms also improved. Ryokeijutsukanto is usually utilized for patients with fluid retention, dizziness, and qi counterflow. However, these 2 cases have qi stagnation rather than qi counterflow. These results suggested that ryokeijutsukanto could also be utilized to treat compulsive behaviors when patients had fluid retention, dizziness and qi stagnation.

Background: Excessive bleeding is a major intraoperative risk associated with orthognathic surgery. This study aimed to investigate the factors involved in massive bleeding during orthognathic surgeries so that safe surgeries can be performed. Patients (n=213) diagnosed with jaw deformities and treated with bimaxillary orthognathic surgery (Le Fort I osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy) in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Suidobashi Hospital, Tokyo Dental College between January 2014 and December 2016 were included. Using the patients’ medical and operative records, the number of cases according to sex, age at the time of surgery, body mass index (BMI), circulating blood volume, diagnosis of maxillary deformity, direction of maxillary movement, operative duration, incidence of bad split, injury of nasal mucosa, and blood type were analyzed. Results: The results revealed that BMI, circulating blood volume, nasal mucosal injury, and operative time were associated with the risk of intraoperative massive bleeding in orthognathic surgeries. Chi-square tests and binomial logistic regression analyses showed significant differences in BMI, circulating blood volume, direction of maxillary movement, operative duration, and injury to the nasal mucosa. Operative duration emerged as the most important risk factor. Furthermore, a >4-mm upward migration of the posterior nasal spine predicted the risk of massive bleeding in orthognathic surgery. Conclusions The upward movement of the maxilla should be recognized during the preoperative planning stage as a risk factor for intraoperative bleeding, and avoiding damage to the nasal mucosa should be considered a requirement for surgeons to prevent massive bleeding during surgery.

OBJECTIVETo examine the effectiveness of a small-scale smoking cessation intervention program conducted annually for ten years in an occupational setting in Japan.

METHODSWe conducted an annual intervention program promoting smoking cessation in male smokers from 1993 to 2002 in an occupational setting in Hyogo, Japan. Trends in smoking prevalence in this worksite were compared with a control group from two similar worksites of the same company. The intervention program was carried out by medical students (the fourth year of a six-year course) who received training on the protocol prior to the intervention. This protocol consisted of one initial group session, followed by periodical correspondence for two months. Successful cessation of smoking was determined by self-declaration of abstinence for longer than four weeks after intervention, confirmed by an expiratory carbon monoxide concentration of less than nine ppm. Smoking prevalence was determined by a self-administered questionnaire provided at the annual health checkup.

RESULTSThe proportion of smokers who participated in the program was 3.47% on average. Abstinence rates following each intervention ranged from 13.3% to 60.0%, with the prevalence of male smokers at the intervention worksite decreasing from 56.2% in 1993 to 47.0% in 2002. In contrast, the smoking prevalence of the control worksites remained largely unchanged, being 60.2% in 1995 and 57.6% in 2002. At the end of the study, the intervention worksite had a significantly lower prevalence of smokers in either the crude or age-adjusted rate.

CONCLUSIONA small-scale but repeated smoking cessation intervention program at a worksite can reduce smoking prevalence more efficiently than the natural trends.

BACKGROUND: Along with the advances in technology of three-dimensional (3D) printer, it became a possible to make more precise patient-specific 3D model in the various fields including oral and maxillofacial surgery. When creating 3D models of the mandible and maxilla, it is easier to make a single unit with a fused temporomandibular joint, though this results in poor operability of the model. However, while models created with a separate mandible and maxilla have operability, it can be difficult to fully restore the position of the condylar after simulation. The purpose of this study is to introduce and asses the novel condylar repositioning method in 3D model preoperational simulation. METHODS: Our novel condylar repositioning method is simple to apply two irregularities in 3D models. Three oral surgeons measured and evaluated one linear distance and two angles in 3D models. RESULTS: This study included two patients who underwent sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) and two benign tumor patients who underwent segmental mandibulectomy and immediate reconstruction. For each SSRO case, the mandibular condyles were designed to be convex and the glenoid cavities were designed to be concave. For the benign tumor cases, the margins on the resection side, including the joint portions, were designed to be convex, and the resection margin was designed to be concave. The distance from the mandibular ramus to the tip of the maxillary canine, the angle created by joining the inferior edge of the orbit to the tip of the maxillary canine and the ramus, the angle created by the lines from the base of the mentum to the endpoint of the condyle, and the angle between the most lateral point of the condyle and the most medial point of the condyle were measured before and after simulations. Near-complete matches were observed for all items measured before and after model simulations of surgery in all jaw deformity and reconstruction cases. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that 3D models manufactured using our method can be applied to simulations and fully restore the position of the condyle without the need for special devices.
Chin ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Equidae ; Glenoid Cavity ; Humans ; Jaw ; Joints ; Mandible ; Mandibular Condyle ; Mandibular Osteotomy ; Maxilla ; Methods ; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ; Orbit ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus ; Surgery, Oral ; Temporomandibular Joint

In accordance with the new model-core-curriculum for medical education, the current status of education about the science of radiation health was surveyed in all medical schools in Japan. Among the four learning points related to the “Biological effects of radiation and radiation hazards” , about half of the schools covered issues on “radiation and human body” and the “effect of medical radiation exposure” in one, or less than one, 60-minutes class, but did not touch on “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” . A significant deviation of human resources was also observed between schools. Learning tools such as presentation files and video content were preferred as education support materials. Therefore, development and distribution of the learning tools, especially in “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” , may be a first step to promoting high-quality education on the science of radiation health risk in each school’s curriculum.