Despite their wide clinical application and success, our understanding of the effects of insoles is relatively limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the biomechanical effects of wearing lateral/medial wedged insoles on subtalar and knee joints during normal walking. Motion analysis was conducted with a 3D motion-analysis system and a ground reaction force analysis using force plate when subjects walked with three different insole conditions : 5-degree medial wedge, no wedge, and 5-degree lateral wedge. Significant differences were found in subtalar or ankle joint motion in coronal and sagittal planes compared with the no-wedge condition. No differences were found in knee joint motion in the coronal and axial planes. The lateral-wedge insole reduced the knee varus moment and increased subtalar pronation moment in mid-stance during walking. At footstrike, however, the lateral wedge increased the knee varus moment and reduced the subtalar supination moment. The medial-wedge insole increased the knee varus moment and decreased subtalar pronation moment during the mid-stance phase. However, the medial wedge reduced the knee varus moment and increased subtalar supination moment at footstrike. The results of this study indicate that the influence of the insoles varied during the stance phase. Therefore, it is requested to select the shape of insole based on the injury mechanism, the location of the pain and the injury prevention.

We successfully treated a patient with palmoplantar pustulosis, with a combined formulation of hainosankyuto and maobushisaishinto. The patient was a 64-year-old female, who had frequently occurring pustulae of about 2 mm in size on her palms and soles, from about May 2000. These pustulae became a crust over time, and the skin peeled off and healed. However, pustulae would persist again every two weeks. We diagnosed this as palmoplantar pustulosis and administered hainosankyuto, but with limited results, whereupon we added maobushisaishinto. As a result of this combined hainosankyuto and maobushisaishinto formulation, our patient with palmoplantar pustulosis recovered significantly after 4 weeks.
Patients ; week ; Treated with ; Combined ; SIZES

Many patients who receive general acupuncture treatment have many complaints concerning their autonomic nervous systems. Applying CMI and CMI type classification (Abe method-a variation of CMI) to 100 new patients who came to our clinic last year, we found vegetative dystonia in half of them. Upon this finding, the following examinations were carried out by means of an function test of autonomic nervous system developed by Kageyama et al.: the coefficient of variation (CV) of R-R interval in ECG obtained through the function test is regarded as an expression of vagal function.
(1) Using this test, the participation of the autonomic nervous system in the condition of those patients who visited our clinic was examined.
(2) Effects of acupuncture treatment on the autonomic nervous system were examined.
(3) Acupuncture stimulation was separately applied to S36 (Zusanli), P4 (Ximen) and Liv3 (Taichong) to examine the influence of the acupuncture point location on the CV obtained through the test.
Results:
(1) 15 new patients (25%-comparatively high rate) showed low CV (less than 2%) of R-R interval in ECG.
(2) In some cases, acupuncture treatment caused an increase in CV.
(3) Acupuncture caused pulse infrequens: R-R interval showed a tendency toward prolongation during the in situ needle technique and after withdrawing the needle on each of the three points (S36, P4 and Liv3). CV increased after withdrawing the needle on either S36 or Liv3 and shortly after needle insertion and after withdrawing the needle on P4.
These result suggest that many patients who receive acupuncture treatment have additional disorder in parasympathetic nervous system which can be improved through acupuncture.

The purpose of this clinical investigation is to analyse the growth of the ventricular volumes and the changes of indices of cardiac performance during infancy and childhood. The materials were composed of 129 healthy infants and children (4 months to 13 years of age), who had a history of Kawasaki disease and without any evidence of coronary artery lesion. All the cases underwent cardiac catheterization and cineangiography under sedation. Volumes of the left and right ventricles were calculated by integration methods in tow frames for end-diastole and end-systole from biplane cineangiograms. Left ventricular mass was calculated in 120 infants and children by Rackley's method.
All the volumes and masses were deviled by body surface area in order to normalize the crude values for infants and children of different size. The mean values of left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI) and stroke index (SI) for each age were less in the younger children than those in the older children, and abrupt stepwise increase was observed at 1 year, 6 years and 10-11 years of age in the values of LVEDVI, RVEDVI and SI.
The infants and chidren were divided into four groups according to age (under 1 year, 1 to 5 years, 6 to 10 years and more than 11 years) . The values of LVEDVI, RVEDVI, SI and LVmass index were less in the younger age groups than those in the older age groups, and the difference of each age groups was statistically significant. The value of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was less in the youngest group (under 1 year) than those in the another groups (p<0.01) . The value for right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was not significantly different in the age groups. End-systolic pressure-volume ratio was normalized with left ventricular mass (LVESP/ (LVESV/LVmass) ) . This normalized ratio was the lowest in the youngest group (under 1 year) and the highest in the oldest group (more than 11 years) .
As mentioned before, abrupt stepwise increase was observed in the“normal”values of LVEDVI, RVEDVI and SI in infancts and children. The explanation of this fact may be difficult at present. By the evidence of the normalized end-systolic pressure-volume ratio, it can be said that the contractility of the left ventricle in“healthy”infants and children was increased according to age. The reason why the value of LVEF was less in the youngest group than those in the another groups can be attributed to the lower contrac-tility in the youngest group. A possible factor that the value of RVEF was not significantly different between the youngest group and the another groups is; because the right ventricle works under higher pressure during fetal and neonatal period, then the right ventricular performance developed already in infancy.

The aim of this study is to validate the effect of a nutrition support team's (NST) interventions in convalescent stroke rehabilitation using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Three hundred and four patients were retrospectively divided into an NST-nourishment group, an NST-losing-weight group and a non-NST group. We then compared the FIM gain, the FIM efficiency and the change of body mass index during admission among these three groups. The FIM gain was 17.3±15.9 in the NST-nourishment group and 16.7±12.5 in the non-NST group and there was no significant difference. The FIM efficiency in the NST-nourishment group (0.20±0.19) was significantly lower than the one in the non-NST group (0.27±0.19). Patients with an FIM of 53 or less showed no significant difference in FIM gain and FIM efficiency between the two groups. Since those patients who received NST intervention would tend to have a poor prognosis in general, we assumed that our “no difference” results indicated the effectiveness of the NST intervention. There was no evident relationship between FIM gains and changes in the body mass index.

A 51-year-old male, who had undergone aortic valve replacement (BS27A) 13 years ago, was admitted with a sudden onset of cerebral stroke and SVC syndrome. Computed tomography and aortography revealed aneurysmal dilatation and dissection of the ascending thoracic aorta with occlusion of the superior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery. A modified Collins procedure was performed and the postoperative course was uneventful.

To restore gait function in paraplegic patients, hip-knee-ankle-foot orthoses are available. Orthoses maintain patient stability when standing and walking by restricting the degree of freedom the lower extremity joints. The disadvantages of orthoses include difficulties in standing and sitting movements, and the large burden placed on the upper extremities in walking. Usage of orthoses in daily living was therefore restricted. We are developing a gait assist robot, which we named WPAL (Wearable Power-Assist Locomotor). WPAL has a high degree of freedom and internal power for flexion-extension direction in each hip, knee, ankle joint. We compared WPAL with the conventional Primewalk orthosis as a preliminary investigation. (1) We compared independent standing ability and walking distance of a walker in WPAL and Primewalk orthosis. All three subjects achieved an independent level in standing and walking in WPAL, despite these users requiring assistance when using the Primewalk. Walking distances with the WPAL were several times greater when compared to walking distance with the Primewalk. (2) We performed a single case study using the patient who made the most entries into WPAL exercise. We compared heart rate, physiological cost index (PCI), modified Borg scale, lateral sway of trunk in 6 minutes walking on treadmill. His heart rate, PCI, and modified Borg scale were significantly lower and lateral sway was significantly smaller in WPAL gait. WPAL which has degree of freedom and internal power in the lower extremities is considered a step toward practical powered orthoses use in gait reconstruction for spinal cord injuries.

A 78-year-old man underwent successful removal of a contaminated pacemaker in a case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) septicemia. Septicemia was due to a subcutaneous abscess at the site of old cut electrodes. Following debridement of the infected pacemaker pocket, residual leads and the pacemaker system were removed under cardiopulmonary bypass. Bacterial examination of arterial blood and vegetation attached to the leads showed septicemia caused by MRSA. After the operation, antibiotic therapy with vancomycin, arbekacin and minocycline was performed for several weeks. His postoperative course was uneventful without the recurrence of infection. In cases of pacemaker contamination, with septicemia, total removal of the pacemaker system and adequate antibiotic therapy are necessary.

The preoperative pulmonary arterial pressure of 38 patients aged over 50 undergoing surgical closure of a secundum atrial septal defect was studied. They were divided into three groups according to systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP): Group A (PAP<30mmHg, n=14), Group B (30≤PAP<50mmHg, n=16), and Group C (PAP≥50mmHg, n=8). The mean age of group C patients was older than that of group A patients. With higher PAP, the Pp/Ps, Rp/Rs and cardiothoracic ratios increased, atrial fibrillation and heart failure (NYHA≥2) were more frequent, and PaO₂ levels declined. There were no differences in left to right shunt ratio and Qp/Qs among the three groups. The PAP and Rp/Rs were under 70mmHg and 0.30, respectively in all patients. High pulmonary blood flow seems to be the cause of pulmonary hypertension in most elderly patients because PAP and Rp/Rs decreased after surgery in all groups. Findings of cardiomegaly and heart failure also improved after surgery. Surgical intervention is recommended even in elderly patients with a ASD.