The fabella, which means little bean is a sesamoid bone located in the lteral head of the gastrocnemius muscle. It has been estimated from radiographic studies, that fabella presents in 11.5%-12.9% of adult knees, and bilaterally in more than 50% of the adult population. The salient features of the fabellar syndrome includes intermittent pain in the posterolateral region, accentuated by knee extension and localized tendemess caused by compression against the femoral condyle. We experienced a case of fabella impingement syndrome which includes symptom of intermittent pain in the posterolateral region, intermittent locking and limitation of knee motion, gd report with review of literatures where it has not ever been introduced.
Adult ; Head ; Humans ; Knee ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Sesamoid Bones

Generally, exposure and the operative technique are common difficulty encountered in the total knee arthroplasty of ankylosed knee due to old infection sequelae. Also the postoperative range of motion and relief of pain is poor due to deformity and excessive soft tissue contracture around knee. There have heen few reports, however, that address the reconstructive challenge of total knee arthroplasty in a previously infected ankylosed knee. We perfoined TKA in thirty six patients who had ankylosed knee between July l986 and Dec. 199S. After follow up of average five years and one month, we analysed the results. The definition of ankylosis was a knee ROM less than 90 degree. Average age of patients were 36.7 years old. Twelve patients were meii and twenty four patients were women. Sixteen patients of partial ankylosis and twenty patients of complete ankylosis were performed operation. There were nineteen cases of healed tubercuiosis knees and seventeen cases of healed pyogenic knees. For the release of soft tissue contracture in 9 cases, we lengthened quadrceps tendon with the method of modified V-Y advancement technique. Patella tendon was proximally reattached with staples and suture in 6 cases and tibial tubercle was proximally transferred in 3 cases. As results, the postoperative average range of motion was 79.3 (30 - l21') in complete ankylosis, 107 (60 - 135 ) in partial ankylosis. The average Hospital for Speciai Surgery knee rating score improved from 56.3 points preoperatively to 84.8 points postoperatively. Radiolucent line was observed in two Knees with less than 2mm width in three years and four months, and four years postoperatively, hut the patient had no pain. In five patients who had poor gain of range of motion after operation, we perfonned arthroscopic adhesiolysis. In conclusion, regarding patient selection, reasonable hony development, relative]y healthy extensor mechanism and adequate soft tissue condition are important for success of TKA in old intection sequelae. TKA of ankylosed knee in old infection sequelae is a successful procedui which can ohtain the restoration of function of the ankylosed knee.
Ankylosis ; Arthroplasty* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee* ; Patellar Ligament ; Patient Selection ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Sutures ; Tendons

The growth factor receptor oncogene, c-erb B-2, is frequently overexpressed in the adenocarcinomas of breast, ovary, lung and stomach. Although the mechanism of erb B-2 overexpression is thought as the result of transcriptional upregulation in many primary human carcinomas, expression rate of c-erb B-2 at mRNA level is usually lower than the level of translated protein. We also found that the expression of erb B-2 in SNU-1 stomach cancer cells was greater at post-transcription level (Bae et al., 1993). To explore the underlying mechanism of erb B-2 protein overexpression, we have chosen two cells lines, SNU-1 and SNU-16 where transcription rate of erb B-2 was closely resemble to each other while expressed protein levels were quite different. The synthesis rate of erb B-2 protein in SNU-1 cells was faster than SNU-16 cells while levels of erb B-2 mRNA were found to be similar in both cell lines. The half-life of the expressed erb B-2 protein was not significantly different in both cell lines. Analysis of the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of erb B-2 mRNA (-1approximately-323) showed no sequence abnormality in both cell lines. However, ribonuclease protection assay using cloned 5 UTR sequence revealed that the size of 5' UTR of erb B-2 mRNA which associate with transcription initiation site(s) in SNU-1 cells was longer than that in SNU-16. These results suggest that the increased erb B-2 protein synthesis rate possibly due to the redundant selection of transcription initiation might be a mechanism of erb B-2 overexpression in SNU-1 cells.
5' Untranslated Regions ; Base Sequence ; Comparative Study ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Half-Life ; Human ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Receptor, erbB-2/*genetics/*metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics/*metabolism ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Transcription, Genetic ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

No abstract available.
Colon* ; Diverticulitis*

Calpain I (mu-calpain) and II (m-calpain) are well known calcium-activated neutral cysteine proteases. Many reports have shown that activation of calpain is related to cataract formation, neuronal degeneration, blood clotting, ischemic injuries, muscular dystrophy and cornified cell envelope (CE) formation. Here, we report that insoluble CE formation was reduced after treatment with calpain I inhibitor (N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norleucinal) on normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK), whereas serine and thiol protease inhibitors had no effect on the reduction of CE. When NHEK cells were confluent, keratinocytes were treated with various concentrations (0.5 microM-0.5 mM) of calpain I inhibitor or serine and thiol protease inhibitors under calcium induced differentiation. Insoluble CE formation was reduced about 90% in the 50 microM calpain inhibitor I treated group by day 9 of culture, whereas insoluble CE was reduced only 10% in the same condition. Interestingly TGase activity was blocked by 90% in the 0.5 mM calpain inhibitor treated group within 72 h, whereas TGase activity was retained by 80% in the 0.5 mM serine protease inhibitor treated group at 7 day treatment. Therefore it can be suggested that cysteine protease calpains might be responsible for the activation of the TGase 1 enzyme to complete insoluble CE formation during epidermal differentiation.
Calcium/pharmacology ; Calpain/metabolism* ; Calpain/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Cell Differentiation ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epidermis/metabolism ; Human ; In Vitro ; Keratinocytes/metabolism ; Keratinocytes/enzymology ; Protease Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Protein-Glutamine gamma-Glutamyltransferase/metabolism* ; Protein-Glutamine gamma-Glutamyltransferase/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Tissue Culture

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma of the female genital tract are extremely rare. Fewer than 30 cases have been described in the literature. We experienced a case of alveolar soft-part sarcoma of the female genital tract which was diagnosed by routine light microscopic study using ultrastructural and immunohistochemical stain. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Female* ; Humans ; Sarcoma, Alveolar Soft Part*

No abstract available.
Prostate*

In the article, Methods of Hematoxylin and Erosin Image Information Acquisition and Optimization in Confocal Microscopy, there was a typographical error in the title.

The rationale for proximal tibial osteotomy is to correct the abnormal loading stresses on the knee that are caused by an abnormal tibiofemoral axis in the coronal plane. Aithough there are many methods of fixation including cast, staple and external fixation, Coventry staple has been used widely. But Coventry staple has some disadvantages such as inadequate fixation, long term cast immobilization and rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the superior performance of Miniplate staple which was designed by authors(Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics, New Milton, UK) over the conventional Coventry staple. We have analyzed the clinical results including postoperative rehabilitation course of 3I cases who had proximal tibial osteotomy fixed with Miniplate staple. Preoperative diagnosis was osteoarthritis(OA) in 24 cases(77.4%) and physiologic genu varum in 7 cases(22.6%). 1. Hospital for Special Surgery knee score was average 72.2 points preoperatively, 90.1 points postoperatively in osteoarthritis and average 94.1 points preoperatively, 99.7 points postoperativeiy in physiologic genu varum. 2. The average tibiofemoral angle was varus 5.8 degrees preoperatively and valgus 8.7 degrees postoperati vely. 3. The active ROM exercise started at 5.3 days, standing at 13.3 days, crutches ambulation at 20.2 days and ambulation without crutches at 46.3 days after operation. In conclusion, more rigid fixation and rapid mobilization was possible with newly designed Miniplate staple in proximal tibial osteotomy.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Crutches ; Diagnosis ; Genu Varum ; Immobilization ; Knee ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteotomy* ; Rehabilitation ; Walking

PURPOSE: To analyse the survival rate and influencing factors and evaluate functional results in total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survival of total knee replacement between 1982 and 1997 with a follow-up period of up to 16 years was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. We analyzed clinically and radiologically 852 patients (1294 knees) who were followed up for more than one year (average 10 years, 3 months) . The average age at operation was 59.6 years. The patients had osteoarthritis in 913 knees (70.5%) and rheumatoid arthritis in 287 knees (22.2%) . Also, the knee function was evaluated according to the Functional Knee Scores of Hospital for Special Surgery. RESULTS: The HSS knee score was improved from an average of 57.7 points preoperatively to an average of 90.2 points postoperatively. The results were satisfactory in 1189 knees (91.8%) . Revision surgery was performed in 53 knees of the 1294 knees (4.1%) . The survival rate with reliability, 13 years after operation, was 88.2%. CONCLUSION: Factors influencing the survival rate were the diagnosis of disease, kind of implant and postoperative tibiofemoral angle. Total knee replacement is an effective and satisfying procedure which can relieve pain, correct deformity, restore function, improve quality of life and achieve long-term survival.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Osteoarthritis ; Quality of Life ; Survival Rate