BACKGROUND: Measuring the slope of proximal tibiofibular joint may elucidate the anatomical structure and type of proximal tibiofibular joint, and evaluate the stability of proximal tibiofibular joint. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the measurement methods and clinical significance of the joint slope by comparing the slope measurement of bilateral proximal tibiofibular joint surface on X-ray and 64-row spiral CT reconstruction.METHODS: One hundred normal adult volunteers, including 50 males and 50 females, aged 18-90 years, were photographed in double knees via internal rotation to 30°, 45° and 60°, respectively and scanned with 64-row spiral CT, tibiofibular bone (including knee joints) was reconstructed. The included angle between proximal tibiofibular articular surface and the longitudinal axis of the fibula shaft, between the proximal tibiofibular articular surface and the horizontal line, were measured using an angle square.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were great variations of the data in the same proximal tibiofibular joint measured by X-ray and spiral CT. X-ray results are affected by the site of photograph position, and the slope of articular surface is estimated, so the 64-row spiral CT is an accurate and convenient method to reconstitute the slope of proximal tibiofibular joints. Spiral CT could be used to distinguish the dislocation and instability of the proximal tibiofibular joint, accordingly reduce the clinical misdiagnosis.

Objectives To study the characteristics of clinical distribution of enterococci, to test its sensitivity to antibiotics recommended by NCCLS, and to promote rational use of antibiotics. Methods A total of 381 strains of enterococci isolated from Hubei during January to December 2001 were tested for their sensitivity to antibiotics and production of beta-lactamases with paper disk diffusion method. Results Among 381 strains of enterococci, there were 78.0% of E. faecalis, 19.4% E. faecium, 1.6% E. durans, 0.53% E. avium, 0.3% E. hirae and 0.3% E. solitarium , and beta-lactamases-producing enterorocci accounted for 3.2% of the total. And, 46.5% of the strains were isolated from uroreproductive tracts samples, ranking the first of the total, possibly because of some samples from a hospital specialized in urology, 35.4 % from respiratory tract, ranking the next, and 11.0% form skin pustule and infected wound, ranking the third. Proportions of the strains resistant to varied antibiotics were 5.8%, 7.9%, 11.0%, 24.7%, 26.8%, 38.6%, 54.6%, 54.6%, 52.5% and 79.3% to vancomycin, teicoplanin, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, penicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloromycetin, high concentration gentamycin, high concentration streptomycin, and tetracycline, respectively. Drug-resistant rate of E. faecium was higher than that of E. faecalis. Conclusions Enterococci, most of them identified as E. faecalis and E. faecium, were isolated from samples of uroreproductive and respiratory system, and the most susceptible to vancomycin. E. faecium was more resistant to antibiotics than E. faecalis.