PURPOSE: To compare the results of posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by open and arthroscopic method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1995 to 1997, 18 reconstructions of posterior cruciate ligament were performed. Group 1 (open method) was composed of 9 cases and group 2 (arthroscopic method) was consisted of 9 cases. After 21-month follow-up, The two groups were compared by clinical and radiologic methods. RESULTS: Clinically, Lysholm knee score was 80 points in group 1 and 83 points in group 2 after operation. Post operative results by Hughston's criteria were good in 5, fair in 2 and poor in 2 cases (group 1) and good in 6, fair in 2 and poor in 1 cases (group 2). Radiologically, post operative average of posterior drawer stress view was 5.2 mm (group 1) and 5.0 mm (group 2). Almost double the operation time was taken to reconstruct posterior cruciate ligament by arthroscopic method than open method. There were technical errors in 2 cases performed by arthroscopic method. CONCLUSIONS: The results of both methods had no significant difference. We think that the reconstruction of PCL using patellar tendon by open method is a recommendable treatment method together with arthroscopic method, if the merits or demerits of both methods are considered carefully. But more long-term follow-up is necessary to compare the results of PCL reconstruction by open and arthroscopic methods.
Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Patellar Ligament ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament

No abstract available.
Shoulder*

Tumoral calcinosis is a very rare disease in which calcium deposit is accumulated on soft tissue around joints without specific metabolic disorder of calcium or predisposing illnesses. Its causes have not been revealed clearly, and the disease has been known to occur rarely among Asian patients. We report a case of a multiple giant tumoral calcinosis patient who complained of painful masses in the groin region as well as in both buttocks and sacral area. The patient was evaluated to differentiate with other causes and have been treated with surgical excision. We present this case with a review of literature.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Buttocks ; Calcinosis* ; Calcium ; Groin ; Humans ; Joints ; Pelvis* ; Rare Diseases

Overweight and obesity are usually related with high fat and calorie intake, and seriously causative of lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, arteriosclerosis, and colon cancer. In this study, we propose a novel dietary therapy against overweight and obesity using mixtures of protamine and chitooligosaccharide (COS), which are known to interrupt the lipid metabolism in the body. Protamine is a dietary protein originated from salmon reproductive organ, and COS is an oligosaccharide made from chitin or chitosan by chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. In the enzyme activity analysis in vitro, protamine and COS strongly suppressed the activity of pancreatic lipase, which is the primary enzyme for the digestion and absorption of lipids in the intestine. In in vivo animal test, the mixtures of protamine and COS significantly reduced the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC) and inhibited the accumulation of lipids in liver tissue of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed high fat diets. On the other hand, they increased fecal TG and T-CHO contents. From these alterations in lipid metabolism, we verified that protamine and COS mixtures could effectively interrupt the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids in the body by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity. In addition, protamine and COS mixtures increased the serum level of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), responsible for removing cholesterol from cells and protecting atherosclerosis, and therefore decreased the potential risks of cardiovascular diseases by lowering values of the atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factor (CRF). Taken together, we suggest protamine and COS mixtures as a prominent dietary therapy for the prevention of overweight, obesity, and further cardiovascular diseases related with hyperlipidemia.
Absorption ; Animals ; Arteriosclerosis ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chitin ; Chitosan ; Cholesterol ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diet, High-Fat ; Dietary Proteins ; Digestion ; Hand ; Hydrolysis ; Hyperlipidemias ; Intestines ; Lipase ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Rats ; Risk Factors ; Salmon

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal cause of death from gynecological malignancies in the Western world. Over 90% of human ovarian cancers arise in the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). The OSE surrounding the ovary is simple mesothelium and squamous to flat-cubobidal mesothelial cells. This cell type of ovary has both epithelial and mesenchymal potential. Also OSE cells are regulated by many factors such as cytokines, growth factors, and multiple hormones. Nevertheless OSE function is poorly understood. In particular, ovarian cancers are closely related with hereditary predisposition. Hereditary ovarian tumors are commonly associated with mutations in tumor suppressor genes such as brca1 and brca2 genes. These genes play a role in maintenance of genome integrity, DNA repair, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Mutations in brca1 and/or brca2 may lead to carcinogenesis through distinct molecular pathways like estrogen-mediated proliferation, the presence of a p53 mutation, and the modulation of the activity of NF-kB. Especially the dysfunction of brca1 triggers the inactivation of p53 and a higher proportion of a p53 mutation is commonly linked to brca-linked ovarian tumorigenesis. The dysfunction of brca1 and/or brca2 can arise from multiple mechanisms in the regulation of both JNK and ERK1/2 signaling. For more effective diagnosis and therapy of ovarian cancer, the role of brca1 and/or brca2 in ovarian cancer has to be distinctively elucidated by the animal models in which the gene functions are deleted in mouse OSE cells and by the mechanisms by which these genes affect ovarian carcinogenesis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cause of Death ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Cytokines ; DNA Repair ; Epithelium ; Female ; Genes, BRCA2 ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Genome ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; NF-kappa B ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Western World

Fatigue fracture of the pelvis is the form of fracture due to repetitive micro-stress accumulation, can be affected by a number of factors such as patient's nutritional status, biomechanics, social status and so on. Still there is no study about precise standard degree of external force that lead to stress fracture, but it may caused by compression force, traction force or complex force and others. Avulsion stress to ischial tuberosity or anterior superior iliac spine by attached muscle is known as the main factor for the avulsion fracture. This report will deal with 19 years old conscripted policeman who occurred ischial tuberosity avulsion fracture after training of 6-hour running for 5 days accompanying hip hyper-flexion motion. This reports aims to provide case study of stress fracture occurred after 5 days of exercise which is relatively short period who had no specific trauma history or pain.
Fractures, Stress* ; Hip ; Ischium ; Nutritional Status ; Pelvis ; Running ; Spine ; Traction

Since endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may interfere with the endocrine system(s) of our body and have an estrogenicity, we evaluated the effect(s) of bisphenol A (BPA) on the transcriptional levels of altered genes in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BG-1 ovarian cancer cells by microarray and real-time polymerase-chain reaction. In this study, treatment with 17beta-estradiol (E2) or BPA increased mRNA levels of E2-responsive genes related to apoptosis, cancer and cell cycle, signal transduction and nucleic acid binding etc. In parallel with their microarray data, the mRNA levels of some altered genes including RAB31_MEMBER RAS ONCOGENE FAMILY (U59877), CYCLIN D1 (X59798), CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE 4 (U37022), IGF-BINDING PROTEIN 4 (U20982), and ANTI-MULLERIAN HORMONE (NM_000479) were significantly induced by E2 or BPA in this cell model. These results indicate that BPA in parallel with E2 induced the transcriptional levels of E2-responsive genes in an estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BG-1 cells. In conclusion, these microarray and real-time polymerase-chain reaction results indicate that BPA, a potential weak estrogen, may have estrogenic effect by regulating E2-responsive genes in ER-positive BG-1 cells and BG-1 cells would be the best in vitro model to detect these estrogenic EDCs.
Anti-Mullerian Hormone ; Apoptosis ; Benzhydryl Compounds ; Cell Cycle ; Cyclin D1 ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Estrogens ; Genes, ras ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 ; Microarray Analysis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Phenols ; Receptors, Estrogen ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important for embryonic development and the formation of various tissues or organs. However, EMT dysfunction in normal cells leads to diseases, such as cancer or fibrosis. During the EMT, epithelial cells are converted into more invasive and active mesenchymal cells. E-box-binding proteins, including Snail, ZEB and helix-loop-helix family members, serve as EMT-activating transcription factors. These transcription factors repress the expression of epithelial markers, for example, E-cadherin, rearrange the cytoskeleton and promote the expression of mesenchymal markers, such as vimentin, fibronectin and other EMT-activating transcription factors. Signaling pathways that induce EMT, including transforming growth factor-beta, Wnt/glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, Notch and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways, interact with each other for the regulation of this process. Although the mechanism(s) underlying EMT in cancer or embryonic development have been identified, the mechanism(s) in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) remain unclear. In this review, we describe the underlying mechanisms of important EMT factors, indicating a precise role for EMT in ESCs, and characterize the relationship between EMT and ESCs.
Animals ; Cadherins/metabolism ; Embryonic Stem Cells/*cytology/metabolism ; *Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors/metabolism

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study OBJECTIVES: To analyze the serial results of selective nerve root blocks in herniated lumbar disc patients. LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY: To our knowledge there has been no study demonstrating the serial efficacy of root blocks for patients with a herniated lumbar disc only. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Selective nerve root blocks were performed in 36 patients who had a lumbar disc herniation only, with radiculopathy, between November 2002 and April 2003. The diagnoses were made by CT or MRI, which agreed with the symptoms and physical examinations. There were 31 men and 5 women, with a mean age of 28.2 years. The mean interval between the onset and procedure was 7.6 weeks, ranging from 1 to 26 weeks. Mono- and double-segment injections were used in 18 cases, respectwely. The straight leg raising angle, visual analogue pain scale, and motor and sensory functions were investigated before, immediately, 2 days, and 1 and 3 months after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean straight leg raising angle improved significantly, from 28+/-9 degrees to 53+/-18 degrees, immediately, and was maintained until 3 months after the procedure (P<0.001). The visual analogue pain scale was also improved, from 4.6+/-0.9 to 2.0+/-1.5, immediately, and was maintained until 3 months after the procedure (P<0.001). Two of ten patients with motor weakness, and six of eighteen with sensory deficit were improved. There was no procedure related complication; however, surgical treatment was performed in two patients who showed no improvement until 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Selective nerve root block is a safe and effective treatment method to obtain a rapid and remarkable improvement of radiculopathy in herniated lumbar disc patients.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Radiculopathy ; Sensation

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study OBJECTIVES: To analyze the serial results of selective nerve root blocks in herniated lumbar disc patients. LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY: To our knowledge there has been no study demonstrating the serial efficacy of root blocks for patients with a herniated lumbar disc only. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Selective nerve root blocks were performed in 36 patients who had a lumbar disc herniation only, with radiculopathy, between November 2002 and April 2003. The diagnoses were made by CT or MRI, which agreed with the symptoms and physical examinations. There were 31 men and 5 women, with a mean age of 28.2 years. The mean interval between the onset and procedure was 7.6 weeks, ranging from 1 to 26 weeks. Mono- and double-segment injections were used in 18 cases, respectwely. The straight leg raising angle, visual analogue pain scale, and motor and sensory functions were investigated before, immediately, 2 days, and 1 and 3 months after the procedure. RESULTS: The mean straight leg raising angle improved significantly, from 28+/-9 degrees to 53+/-18 degrees, immediately, and was maintained until 3 months after the procedure (P<0.001). The visual analogue pain scale was also improved, from 4.6+/-0.9 to 2.0+/-1.5, immediately, and was maintained until 3 months after the procedure (P<0.001). Two of ten patients with motor weakness, and six of eighteen with sensory deficit were improved. There was no procedure related complication; however, surgical treatment was performed in two patients who showed no improvement until 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Selective nerve root block is a safe and effective treatment method to obtain a rapid and remarkable improvement of radiculopathy in herniated lumbar disc patients.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Radiculopathy ; Sensation