Tuberculosis of the vertebral column is a slowly developing disease, characterized by pain, spinal deformity, and occasionally paralysis. The following varieties of vertebral tuberculosis are commonly recognized, such as a central variety, metaphysial tuberculosis (inter-vertebral articular type), an anterior or periosteal variety, appendiceal tuberculosis, and a true tuberculous arthritis. Among these appendiceal tuberculosis is rare. This form of Potts disease may be unilateral or bilateral and may be isolated or present at multiple levels. Disk space changes and deformity are minor features, but large paravertebral abscesses are invariable. Extradural extension may lead to the development of paraplegia. Two cases of destructive lesions at the neural arch of 10th. and 11th. thoracic vertebra were revealed to be appendiceal tuberculosis. All cases treated with antituberculous medication, radical curettage and body jaket casts and made recoveries. Patients had no complaints and no evidence of recurrence. A brief summary of the literature is submitted.
Abscess ; Arthritis ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Curettage ; Humans ; Paralysis ; Paraplegia ; Recurrence ; Spine ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Spinal

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate changes in Achilles tendon (AT) characteristics of asymptomatic tendons in patients with acute AT ruptures on the contralateral side by using ultrasonography. Methods: From January 2016 to December 2018, 31 patients were enrolled. The contralateral asymptomatic ATs were assessed: (1) fluid collection of paratenon, (2) echogenicity, and (3) thickness. The ATs were divided into the distal, middle, and proximal thirds for evaluation and were assessed before the surgery, as well as at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the surgery. At each time, pain in the tendons was recorded. Results: In all cases, it was observed that there was a hypoechoic lesion or fluid collection of the paratenon, which did not show a significant change over time. There was no significant difference in tendon thickness according to the period in the distal and proximal areas, and significant differences were observed only in the middle area (p＜ 0.05). A new pain around the tendon occurred most often at 6 weeks after surgery (eight cases of 31 cases, 25.8%). Eight cases of pain (47.1%) remained at 12 months after surgery. Conclusion In patients with acute AT rupture, ultrasonographic hypoechoic lesions or fluid collections of the paratenon were initially observed on the contralateral tendon, but this did not show significant changes over time. A significant change in tendon thickness was observed in the middle area, but this did not show a close association with pain.

The treatment of extensive soft tissue injury of the lower extremities is known to be one difficulty in the field of orthopedic surgery. At present, reconstructive surgery with large cutaneous flaps is being employed, and the authors present 2 cases of a combination of flaps for extensive soft tissue injury of the lower extremity at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of Severance Hospital during a 5 months period from June, 1983 to November, 1983. The results of the study are as follows: 1. A one-stage reconstruction of extensive soft tissue injury was done with a combination of a scapular and a latissimus dorsi flap. 2. There was no limitation of motion of the shoulder in spite of the excision of the scapular and the latissimus dorsi flaps around the axillary area. 3. The primary closure of the donor flap sites was feasible. 4. The reconstructive surgery of the extensive soft tissue injury using the above combination of the scapular and latissimus dorsi flaps can be used without restriction as to the age of the patient.
Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Orthopedics ; Shoulder ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: To evaluate the necessity for repair of associated deltoid ligament rupture in lateral malleolar fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty of twenty-five patients were evaluated. Each received surgical treatment without repair of the ruptured deltoid ligament. We found that the medial clear space was widened more than 5 mm in intraoperative stress tests which had been done between May 2003 and June 2008. We did follow-up on these patients for more than 1 year after surgery. At the final follow-up, radiologic and clinical assessment were evaluated on plain X-ray and according to Olerud Molander ankle scores. RESULTS: Open reduction and internal fixation of the lateral malleolar was done in all cases and an additional transfixation screw was needed in 17 patients who had concurrent syndesmotic disruption. Average medial clear space widening before surgery was 9.28 mm (7.0-17.14 mm), at final follow-up time it was 3.43 mm (2.9-5.28 mm). And there were 8 (40%) good, 10 (50%) fair and 2 (10%) poor ratings on radiologic evaluation, but the mean clinical score was 93.75, with 17 (85%) being excellent, 2 (10%) good and 1 (5%) fair on clinical evaluation. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of lateral malleolus fracture associated with disruption of the deltoid ligament, satisfactory clinical results could be obtained including lateral joint stability, with accurate anatomical reduction and internal fixation of the lateral malleolus and distal tibio-fibular joints. Medial joint stability could be obtained without deltoid ligament repair.
Animals ; Ankle ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Ligaments ; Rupture

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between variable factors and clinical results following the operative treatment of the tibial plateau fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical and radiological analysis was performed on 29 cases of the tibial plateau fractures who had been treated with operative treatment and followed up for more than 1 year from January 1991 to December 1997. The analysis of clinical results was performed dividing into age, cause of injury, fracture type of Schatzker classification, associated soft tissue injury and method of operative treatment. RESULTS: According to Schatzker classification, 2 cases(6.9%) were type I, 11 cases(37.9%) were type II, 1 case(3.5%) was type III, 5 cases(17.2%) were type IV, 4 cases(13.8%) were type V, and 6 cases(20.7%) were type VI. In all cases, bony unions were obtained. According to Blokker evaluation, 23 cases(79.3%) of 29 cases were acceptable. CONCLUSION: We could expect good clinical results if early knee joint mobilization following minimal invasive open reduction and internal fixation could be obtained. Bad clinical results were related with young age group under 30, more than Schatzker classification type IV of high energy trauma and associated injury of anterior cruciated ligment or meniscus.
Classification ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Tibia

The occurrence of delayed intracerebral hemorrhage is more frequent than previously reported and is associated with a poor outcome. Early detection and proper management is important in that aspect. The progression tends to be insidious. When the patient's consciousness gets worse or is not improving within resonable time, the second CT scan should be performed. In a retrospective study of 211 consecutive patients with traumatic intracranial hematomas, we identified 12 cases(5.6%) with delayed traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage(DTICH). Among these, five(41.6%) died of DTICH. Cerebral contusion on initial CT, acceleration-deceleration injury with rotational forces, surgical decompression would be important contributors in the development of DTICH.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Hemorrhage, Traumatic* ; Consciousness ; Contusions ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Decompression, Surgical ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Traumatic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Oral mucosal melanoma is a very rare type of malignant melanoma, the characteristics of whichdiffer from those of cutaneous melanoma. Primary amelanotic melanoma of the mandibular gingiva,which can invade the mandibular bone, is very rare worldwide. Here, we report a case in whichwe performed a reconstruction of the mandible and gingiva using the fibula osteocutaneous freeflap procedure to treat a patient diagnosed with a primary amelanotic melanoma of the mandibulargingiva. The procedure was successful, and no recurrence was observed 10 months after surgery.Oral mucosal melanoma has a much poorer prognosis and a lower 5-year survival rate thancutaneous melanoma. However, recently, immunomodulatory therapies for mutations in melanocyticlesions have been used effectively to treat the increasing number of patients developing thistype of melanoma, thus improving the prognosis of patients with oral mucosal melanoma.

The number of physically disabled in Korea and their biodemographic characteristics are estimated through a national sample survey of about 100,000 population or 22,134 households. The results showed that 7.98 persons per 1,000 population were found to be physically disabled including inconvenience to body or limb, as well as being mute, deaf or blind. Males had a higher prevalence ratio of disability compared to females, particularly in rural areas, among the less educated, divorced or widowed males.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disabled Persons*/classification ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Age ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of diazoxide on hypoxia-induced soluble fms-like tyrosin kinase-1 (sFlt-1) release in JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells. METHODS: Cells were cultured under normoxia (20% O2) or hypoxia (1% O2), and expression of sFlt-1 mRNA and protein release was determined by quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as well as hypoxia stimulated sFlt-1 release and diazoxide inhibited both of them. The selective inhibitor of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphat (ATP)-sensitive K+ channel opener (K(ATP)) 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD) completely reversed the diazoxide-induced inhibition of hypoxia-stimulated sFlt-1 release. qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that diazoxide up-regulated the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. In addition, the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP) and the metabolic product of HO-1 bilirubin mimicked diazoxide to inhibit sFlt-1 release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production under hypoxia, whereas the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP IX) antagonized the effect of diazoxide. In cells transfected with the HO-1 siRNA, diazoxide did not exert any effect on sFlt-1 release and ROS production under hypoxia. CONCLUSION: These results, taken together, strongly suggest that up-regulation of the HO-1 expression is the crucial mechanism responsible for the diazoxide-induced inhibition of the sFlt-1 release and ROS production under hypoxia.
Adenosine ; Anoxia ; Bilirubin ; Blotting, Western ; Choriocarcinoma* ; Cobalt ; Diazoxide* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ; Zinc

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare, benign, soft tissue neoplasm affecting the synovium of joints, classified as localized and diffused type. Localized type is more common, arising from synovium of joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths. Diffused type is relatively rare, frequently arising from an extra-articular lesion, and sometimes from an intramuscular or subcutaneous lesion. Although the cause of occurrence is not yet clear, recently it has been known as a benign neoplasm rather than an inflammatory or reactive process. We performed a total excision of the PVNS in a pretibial lesion and achieved a good result. We report on the case with a review of the literature.
Giant Cell Tumors* ; Giant Cells* ; Joints ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular ; Tendons ; Tenosynovitis* ; Tibia