In the insured of the agricultural cooperative life insurance program (12, 156, 022 cases), 12, 588 persons were involved in accidents in 1973 fiscal year. The following analysis was conducted on these 12, 588 persons with special reference to the 2, 218 persons who were involved in farm machine accidents.
1. There were 3, 945 cases of traffic accidents. Of them, there were 2, 499 deaths and the fatality ratio stood at as high as 63.3%. There were 57 cases of traffic accidents involving farm machines. Of them, there were 42 deaths and the fatality rate was evidently high with 73.6%
2. There were 54 deaths caused by farm machines excluding those caused by traffic accidents. Of them, 45 were caused by cultivators. The ratio was extremely high with 83.3%.
3. Of the 45 deaths caused by cultivators, 26 were the cases in which the operators were pressed by fallen cultivators. In 13 cases, the operators were caught in between the machine and tree or building.
4. There were the other 2, 164 cases of farm machine accidents in which the patients were later seized with sequelae. Of these cases, 564 cases (26.0%) were caused by cultivators, 379 cases (17.5%) by thrashing machines and 316 cases (14.6%) by reapers. The accidents caused by these three types of machines accounted for 1, 259 cases (58.1%).
5. In the overwhelmingly large portion of the cases of accidents, sequelae broke out in fingers. Thus, 89.6% of those who were involved in machine accidents suffered from sequelae in fingers.
6. There were 1, 939 cases of finger accidents, of which 1, 032 accidents were caused by machine belts and 441 by machine blades. The accidents caused by these two items accounted for 75.9%.
7. From the statistical analysis, it might be said that the correlation coefficients between the number of farm machines available in a given area and that of accidents are less significant for cultivators and reapers, and that the environmental and working conditions are just as important elements as the number of machines.

Investigation was made into the health care conditions in a rural district in Akita Prefecture. Topographically, the district is divided into two parts-one characterized by mountain and the other by flat terrain.
1. In remote, depopulated villages, per capita cost of public health is on the increase.
2. The number of health personell, particularly public health nurses, is not enough to carry on various health programs.
3. With the prospect of greater numbers of the aged in society, there is an urgent need for increased medical services along with the consolidation of primary health care. In order to meet the need, it is necessary to establish a regional community health system comprised of a hospital as a nucleus and neighborhood medical instituions such as clinics and health centers.

Investigations were made into the actual working and living conditions of adults, both men and women, in the families engaged in mixed farming.
The working conditions were analyzed according to the types of crops farmers are growing. The work study was necessary to probe into the causes of farmers' health disturbances.
A questionnaire revealed that farmers are short of sleep during the busiest season. Especially housewives are forced to cut down on their sleeping hours.
It also found that some farmers spray pesticides in quantity and expose themselves to the potentially health injurious chemicals with alarming frequency.
There was evidence to show that some ailments, notably low back pain, had been reduced due to imporovements on farmwork and working environment.
Health checkups showed that the incidences of hypercholesterolemia and obesity remain high. There was imbalance between carolic intake and consumption.

PURPOSE: High tibial valgus osteotomy (HTO) is a well-established surgical procedure for patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The hybrid closed-wedge HTO (CWHTO) procedure permits extensive correction in patients with severe deformities or patellofemoral joint OA. The aim of this study was to report the short-term results in a consecutive series of patients treated with hybrid CWHTO. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes and radiographic parameters in 29 consecutive knees that underwent hybrid CWTHO to correct medial compartment OA at an average follow-up of 52.6 months. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Lysholm score and knee scoring system of the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA). The Kellgren-Lawrence grading system and pre- and postoperative mechanical axis (MA), femorotibial angle (FTA), posterior tibial slope, and patella height were assessed. RESULTS: The FTA and MA significantly changed from 180.7° to 170.4° and from 22.0° to 60.2°, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the mean pre- and postoperative posterior tibial slope, Insall-Salvati ratio, or Caton-Deschamps index. The postoperative JOA and Lysholm scores significantly improved from 76.7 to 95.8 and from 58.8 to 90.2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Satisfactory outcomes can be achieved with hybrid CWHTO in patients with medial OA.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Orthopedics ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteotomy ; Patella ; Patellofemoral Joint ; Retrospective Studies