Since Green et al has introduced a new technique of retrograde intramedullary nail, the use of retrograde interlocking intramedullary nails has been recommended as one of the treatment options for the distal femoral fracture. However there are some disadvantages that an arthrotomy is required for insertion and the knee joint could often be violated. Authors present a simple, arthroscopically assisted method using the retrograde intramedullary nailing for distal femoral fractures with minimal invasiveness to the knee. From March 1995 to March 1997, the retrograde intramedullary nail was used to treat 9 distal femoral fractures. Five of 9 patients were fractured at the distal shaft of the femur and others were fractured at the supracondylar region of the femur. Only one of the fractures was open injury(Gustilo-Anderson grade II). Significant concomitant knee joint injuries were revealed through the arthroscopy in 3 patients. Eight of 9 fractures healed by 5 months, but one fracture was not healed and required bone grafting. Average knee range of motion was 130. Complications included 1 nonunion and 1 hardware failure. There were no patellofemoral problems and no posttraumatic arthritis of the knee joint. This arthroscope-assisted method have some potential benefits that include decreased risk of damage to the knee joint, early evaluation and treatment of the associated knee joint injuries, and accurate placement of the nail.
Arthritis ; Arthroscopy* ; Bone Transplantation ; Femoral Fractures* ; Femur ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Range of Motion, Articular

Lipoma arborescens is a rare intra-articular lesion consisting of a villous lipomatous proliferation of the synovial lining. We experienced one case of lipoma arborescens of knee which was associated with avascular necrosis of femoral head. This case report draws the attention to history, physical findings, MR images, pathologic findings and arthroscopic appearance of this rare lesion. Arthro;copically, the lesion appears as a synovial lesion with numerous fatty-appearing globules and villous projections. Although the etiology is unknown, lipoma arborescens has been described in association with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus. MR imaging is diagnostic choice to differentiate the lesion from rheumatoid arthritis, pigmented villonodular synovitis and synovial chondromatosis in those patients who present with chronic, swollen and painfui joint. Arthroscopic removal was effective in this case and we think that treatment choice of this lesion is arthroscopic removal.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Chondromatosis, Synovial ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Head ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee* ; Lipoma* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis ; Osteoarthritis ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular

Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas is one of the rare congenital anomalies of the pancreas. Six cases of them have been reported. We have experienced an autopsy case of agenesis of the dorsal pancreas associated with fetal death in the uterus. Grossly, the body and tail of the pancreas and uncinate process were not found and those were partially replaced by adipose tissue. No abnormality was noted in the other organs. Microscopically, pancreatic tissue with autolytic change was identified only in the head portion of the pancreas.

Recent development and advances in arthroscopic surgical techniques for Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL) reconstruction have led to the single-incision techniques. Several potential pitfalls in the classic single-incision techniques were found and it has become necessary to develop a new, simpler method to overcome these problems. Seventy-five cases of arthroscope-assisted ACL reconstruction were prospectively studied. The radiologic results were compared between the group in which femoral tunnel preparation was performed by the tibia tunnel(classic technique, 35 cases) and the group in which the anteromedial portal was employed(modified technique, 40 cases). Significantly better results were obtained at the angle formed by the bone graft and the interference screw, the angle between the femoral tunnel axis and the anatomic axis of the femur, and the angle between the femoral tunnel axis and tibial tunnel axis in the modified technique(P<0.05). This study presents a modified arthroscope-assisted ACL reconstruction technique that uses the anteromedial portal for femoral tunnel preparation and insertion of interference screw. In the modified ACL reconstruction technique, the femoral tunnel preparation and femoral graft fixation were accomplished in the same direction and the femoral tunnel preparation was performed regardless of the tibial tunnel preparation, this allows the surgeon to handle the arthroscope freely and advance more posteriorly to get a better view of the posterior cortex.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Arthroscopes ; Arthroscopy ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Femur ; Knee ; Prospective Studies ; Tibia ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation* ; Plasma* ; Scrub Typhus*

Teratoma is one of germ cell tumor, common neoplasm in women of reproductive age, but it can arise at any age. Its malignant transformation is rare, less than 2%, frequently at older age. Nearly all the cases are squamous, sarcomatous and adenomatous transformation. Here we present a case of mixed transformation, adeno-squamous cell carcinoma with brief review of the concerned literature.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; Teratoma*

PURPOSE: T cells play a central role in cell-mediated immunity, atopic disease, and asthma. The balance of CD28/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4)-derived signal transduction plays an important role in the activation of T cells and an increased immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding both CTLA4 and the high-affinity IgE receptor 1B (FCER1B) and serum IgE levels in Korean children with asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 238 controls and 742 children with asthma. The CTLA4 +49A/G and FCER1B -654C/T polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: We observed no difference in the distribution of CTLA4 +49A/G among controls, children with asthma, and those with atopic asthma. In contrast, the GA genotype of CTLA4 +49A/G in children with atopic asthma was significantly higher compared to that in those with non-atopic asthma. Moreover, significantly higher log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels were found in children with asthma and those with atopic asthma carrying one or two copies of the CTLA4 +49A versus those homozygous for +49G. Gene-gene interactions between CTLA4 and FCER1B with the heterozygote and homozygote of variant genotypes were associated with the log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not asthma development. In addition, children with Dp/Df (+) asthma carried an elevated combined genotype of risk allele compared to those with Dp/Df (-) asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The CTLA4 +49A/G polymorphism may contribute to the production of IgE in Korean children with asthma, especially in Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not in the direct development of asthma. In addition, Dp/Df-specific IgE levels with a FCER1B -654C/T polymorphism may involve additive effects.
Alleles ; Asthma ; Child ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Lifting ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes

PURPOSE: T cells play a central role in cell-mediated immunity, atopic disease, and asthma. The balance of CD28/cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4)-derived signal transduction plays an important role in the activation of T cells and an increased immunoglobulin E (IgE) response. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the genes encoding both CTLA4 and the high-affinity IgE receptor 1B (FCER1B) and serum IgE levels in Korean children with asthma. METHODS: We enrolled 238 controls and 742 children with asthma. The CTLA4 +49A/G and FCER1B -654C/T polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. RESULTS: We observed no difference in the distribution of CTLA4 +49A/G among controls, children with asthma, and those with atopic asthma. In contrast, the GA genotype of CTLA4 +49A/G in children with atopic asthma was significantly higher compared to that in those with non-atopic asthma. Moreover, significantly higher log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels were found in children with asthma and those with atopic asthma carrying one or two copies of the CTLA4 +49A versus those homozygous for +49G. Gene-gene interactions between CTLA4 and FCER1B with the heterozygote and homozygote of variant genotypes were associated with the log Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not asthma development. In addition, children with Dp/Df (+) asthma carried an elevated combined genotype of risk allele compared to those with Dp/Df (-) asthma. CONCLUSIONS: The CTLA4 +49A/G polymorphism may contribute to the production of IgE in Korean children with asthma, especially in Dp/Df-specific IgE levels, but not in the direct development of asthma. In addition, Dp/Df-specific IgE levels with a FCER1B -654C/T polymorphism may involve additive effects.
Alleles ; Asthma ; Child ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Genotype ; Heterozygote ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Immunity, Cellular ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulins ; Lifting ; Signal Transduction ; T-Lymphocytes

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the risk factors and the surgical results for adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Many studies have been performed about the risk factors for adjacent segment disease, but the findings are still controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out on 35 (13 men, 22 women) of 50 patients who underwent lumbar fusion due to adjacent segment disease with a minimum of 2 year follow-up period from July 1999 to July 2006. The differences of the interval to revision (IR) were statistically analyzed by the examining preexisting degenerative change in the adjacent segments on MRI, the number of fused segments, the lumbar lordosis and the sagittal balance. The surgical outcomes of reoperation were assessed by Brodsky's criteria. RESULTS: Junctional stenosis as adjacent segment disease was seen in 21 cases (60%) and instability was seen in 14 cases (40%), including 2 iatrogenic flat backs and 2 cases of lumbar degenerative kyphosis. The average IR was 93 months for the cases that had less than 2 segment fusion (20 cases) and 62 months in those with more than 3 segment fusion (15 cases). As for lumbar lordosis, 25 cases (71%) had a normal range of angle as well as 101 months until the IR and 10 cases (29%) had an abnormal range of angle as well as 64 months until IR. Six cases were beyond the normal range of sagittal balance (17%) and their average IR value was 59 months. Otherwise, the cases with a normal range of sagittal balance had 109 months for the IR. The clinical outcome was excellent in 6 cases (17%) and good in 15 cases (43%). CONCLUSION: To decrease the adjacent segment disease, we should seriously consider the extent of lumbar fusion and we should restore the angle in lumbar lordosis to the physiological range and the sagittal balance during the initial operation.
Animals ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Ethylenes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Male ; Reference Values ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Korea* ; Lymphoma*