PURPOSE: To evaluate the functional results after internal fixation with two low profile plates in fractures of the distal tibia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 1998 to October 2002, twelve patients with fractures of the distal tibia were treated with internal fixation using two low profile plates and followed for at least one year. Fractures according to AO/OTA classification were one Type A1, four Type A2, two Type C1, two Type C2 and three Type C3. We analyzed the functional results by the Olerud and Molander ankle scoring system and the postoperative complications. RESULTS: The average functional score was 81.2 points and the results were three excellent, six good, one fair and two poor. Bony union was achieved in all cases. There was 1 case of superficial wound infection as a complication. CONCLUSION: Internal fixation with two low profile plates in fractures of the distal tibia may minimize the incidence of soft tissue complications and provide good bony union and functional results. Therefore, we consider internal fixation with two low profile plates as a good alternative treatment of the distal tibial fracture.
Ankle ; Classification ; Humans ; Incidence ; Postoperative Complications ; Tibia* ; Tibial Fractures ; Wound Infection

PURPOSE: To compare functional recovery and clinical outcome for internal fixation and hemiarthroplasty groups over eighty years old for basal intertrochanteric fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two cases among 62 treated from Aug. 1997 to May 2001 (22 internal fixation-group A and 20 hemiarthroplasty-group B) were retrospectively evaluated to assess walking level, activity of daily living, mental status, dementia, chronic illness and complications after at least a one year follow up. RESULTS: Partial weight bearing was started at a postoperative 14.5 and 9.5 days and full weight bearing at 10 and 3 weeks in group A and B, respectively. Walking level changed from 3.5 to 2.2 in group A, from 3.0 to 2.5 in group B, and the daily living activity scale from 4.8 to 7.9, and from 4.6 to 6.2. Mental status reduced from 22.8 to 18.2, and from 22.8 to 19.7 in each group. Newly developed dementia occurred in 6 and 5, and the index of chronic illness increased from 2.09 to 2.27, and from 2.05 to 2.25 in each group. Other postoperative complications showed no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: The authors suggest bipolar hemiarthroplasty shows better functional recovery in terms of walking level, activity of daily living, and mental status, but same recovery for dementia, postoperative delirium and chronic illness compared to the internal fixation group. Therefore, the authors suggest that bipolar hemiarthroplasty in an effective surgical method in the over eighties.
Activities of Daily Living ; Chronic Disease ; Delirium ; Dementia ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemiarthroplasty* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Walking ; Weight-Bearing

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: We attempted to establish an efficient diagnosis and treatment modality by analyzing clinical manifestations and operative results of upper lumbar disc herniations. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Upper lumbar disc herniations represented a lower incidence but have become easier to diagnose by predictable clinical aspects and an MRI scan. The operative results have been satisfactory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 41 cases, which were operated with posterior laminectomy and discectomy from September, 1996 to November, 2009. We analyzed pre-operative history, clinical and MRI findings, and then assessed operative results by Kim's criteria and functional change in the follow up. RESULTS: The prevalence of upper lumbar disc herniations in all disc herniations was 8.8%. Pre-operative manifestations were lower back pain (85.4%), radiating pain (80.5%), sensory deficit (53.7%), motor deficit (53.7%), and depressed knee jerk (65.9%). The positive rate of the femoral stretching test (78.0%) was higher than the straight leg raising test (39.0%). The VAS score changed from preoperative 9.0+/-0.8 into postoperative 1.4+/-1.3 points. The operative results were excellent or good in 82.9%. The rate of resuming previous work, including slight modification was 90.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Predictable clinical aspects of the upper lumbar disc herniations are anterior thigh pain with lower back pain, variable motor deficit, sensory deficit, depressed knee jerk and the positive femoral nerve stretching test. Through careful examination and radiological evaluations such as MRI, operative treatment can obtain a symptomatic improvement and satisfactory results.
Diskectomy ; Femoral Nerve ; Incidence ; Knee ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thigh

No abstract available.
Humans*

Twenty-four ma1e a1bino rats were chosen at random and divided into two dietary groups: one for control (diet 1) and the other for an experimental diet (diet 2). Diet II consisted of the basal diet supplemented with red pepper powder in increasing amounts from 1.25%, 1.8% and 2.5% to 3.6%. With a red pepper diet at the 2.5% level, there was a significantly lower efficiency of food utilization. (p=0.05) The apparent digestlbility of calcium with red pepper concentrations from 2.5 to 35% was about 13% greater than in tile control diet. Thus red pepper appears to affect the solubility of calcium in the diet. Serum alpha-Carotene and Vitamin A showed a tendency to increase slightly with a red pepper diet. No histological changes in the gastric mucosa cells were observed in rats fed a red pepper diet. Further investigation is required to define the effects of red pepper in different species of animals.
Absorption* ; Animals ; Calcium* ; Capsicum* ; Diet ; Gastric Mucosa ; Rats* ; Solubility ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

To investigate the significance of precordial ST-segment depression in acute inferior myocardial infarction, electrocardiographic findings in 51 consecutive patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction were analysed with clinical findings and coronary artery angiography. Thirty patients(Group A) had no or <1.0mm ST depression, and twenty one patients(Group B) had > or =1.0mm ST depression in two or more precordial(VI-6) leads were included in this study. Patients in Group B thd greater summed ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, AVF(6.3+/-6.1 vs 2.4+/-2.3mm, p<0.05), higher plasma peak CK levels(1776.8+/-1503.3 vs 5666.6+/-587.7 IU/L, p<0.05), higher plasmal peak CK-MB levels(141.2+/-1553.3 vs 34.1+/-35.7 IU/L, p<0.05), more prevalence of proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease (46.6% vs 16.6%, p<0.05) than patients in Group A. There was no significant difference between Group A and Group B in the LV ejection fraction, delta area decreasing rate, infarction related asynergy, complications during hospitalization and cardiac events during follow up period. In conclusion, patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction who have associated with precordial ST depression had more extensive myocardial damage probably due to concomitant left anterior descending coronary artery disease.
Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression* ; Electrocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Infarction ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction* ; Plasma ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
POEMS Syndrome*

Respiratory infections, which are caused by airborne pathogens, are the most common disease of all ages worldwide. This study was conducted to characterize the airborne respiratory pathogens in the public facilities in Busan, South Korea. A total of 260 public facilities were investigated in 2017, 52 seasonal indoor air from 2 hospitals and 208 indoor air samples from 208 randomly selected daycare centers. Among respiratory pathogen, 8 viral pathogens including human adenovirus (HAdV), human bocavirus (HBoV), human rhinovirus (HRV), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV), human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human coronavirus (HCoV) and influenza virus (IFV), and 3 bacterial pathogens including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae, were investigated by multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Pathogens were detected in 9 cases (3.4%). Among 9 positive samples, 6 (2.3%) cases were positive for HBoV and 3 (1.2%) cases were positive for IFV. All the positive cases were detected in daycare centers. Additionally, the concentration of HBoV was determined. In HBoV-positive samples, the cycle threshold (Ct) values of HBoV were 29.73~36.84, which are corresponding to the viral concentration of 4.91 × 10⁰ ~ 9.57 × 10² copies/ml. Serotype distribution of isolated HBoV was analyzed by sequencing of VP1/VP2 gene. All of the HBoV isolates were identified as HBoV type 1 with a high similarity among the isolates (>97%). No bacterial pathogen was identified in indoor air samples. Although virus concentration was not high in public facilities (daycare center), the presence of respiratory viral pathogens has been identified. Effective ventilation and air purification strategies are needed to reduce the indoor concentration of respiratory pathogens. A long-term and ongoing surveillance plan for respiratory pathogen management should be established.
Adenoviruses, Human ; Bordetella pertussis ; Busan ; Chlamydial Pneumonia ; Chlamydophila pneumoniae ; Coronavirus ; Human bocavirus ; Humans ; Korea ; Metapneumovirus ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Public Facilities* ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Reverse Transcription ; Rhinovirus ; Seasons ; Serogroup ; Ventilation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical distribution of bilateral non-contemporary hip fractures regarding to fractures type, risk factors and fractures interval in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 24 bilateral non-contemporary cases among 621 hip fractures from Sep. 1997 to Dec. 2004 were evaluated regarding to gender, age, incidence, Singh index, causes, interval, fracture pattern, operative methods and underlying diseases between the two fractures retrospectively. RESULTS: The distribution is as follows: males to females (5:19), incidence (3.86%), mean age (76.9 years and 78.9 years), average Singh index 2.5 degree (2~4) and 2.1 degree (1~3) respectively. 21 cases (87.5%) in both fractures suffered from minor slips and 19 cases (79.1%) occured within 3 years of the first fracture and 17 (68.1%) cases were same type fractures. Bipolar hemiarthroplasty was performed in 12 cases. All but one patient had underlying cardiovascular diseases and CVA sequales. CONCLUSION: To prevent the bilateral non-contemporary hip fractures, surgeons must bear in mind that osteoporosis treatment, control of underlying cardiovascular diseases and CVA sequales, and the effective rehabilitation is very important.
Aged* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Hospital Distribution Systems* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Osteoporosis ; Rehabilitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Although the majority of children's forearm diaphyseal fractures may be treated conservatively with closed reduction and cast immobilization, unstable or irreducible fractures are usually treated by surgical management. Authors performed percutaneous pin leverage reduction technique for irreducible displaced diaphyseal fractures. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of pin leverage technique in pediatric forearm diaphyseal fractures MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed 22 cases of forearm diaphyseal fractures reduced by percutaneous pin leverage technique between 1997 and 2002. We analyzed radiographs, operation time, hospital stay and immobilization period, range of motion, postoperative complications and functional results by Thomas. RESULTS: Average length of follow up was 28 months with mean age of 10.5 years. All fractures in this series healed less than 2 degrees of diaphyseal angulation. Average operation time including anesthesia was 42 minutes and hospital stay was 4.6 days. Time to union was 49.6 days in average and range of motion and functional results were satisfactory in all cases except one case of congenital radioulnar synostosis. There was one case of superficial pin track infection as complication. CONCLUSION: In operative treatment of children's diaphyseal fractures of forearm bones, percutaneous pin leverage reduction technique is a good alternative method prior to open reduction in case of difficult closed reduction.
Anesthesia ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forearm* ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Length of Stay ; Postoperative Complications ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Synostosis