One hundred and twenty patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation were treated with automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy(APLD) from June 1988 to October 1989 in Seoul National University Hospital. Among them, 95 patients were followed up for more than 6 months. Number of male patients was 58 and female 37. Age ranged from 15 to 57 years with average 28 years. L4-L5 was the most commomly involved level comprising 80%, and 2 level involvement was 9%. Average duration of procedure was 38 minutes, and average amount of tissue aspirated was 5.2 grams and average hospital stay was 2.4 days. The average follw up was 10.8 months. Eighty seven percent of patients were satisfactory and 13% unsatisfactory and there was no major complication. There was no significant disc space narrowing in all the cases and the size of herniation revealed no significant change in all the patients, even the patient had a satisfactory result. APLD was compared with chemonucleolysis performed during 1988 in terms of clinical results, disc space narrowing on plain films and herniation size change on follw up CT. Chemonucleolysis also had satisfactory result in 89% with reduction of herniation size in 41% but induced significant disc space narrowing in 84%. Authors experienced some special cases, which are generally considered poor indication for percutaneous discectomy. Those were degenerative, calcified and possibly ruptured discs. Satisfactory results were obtained in 10 of 14 these patients.
Diskectomy ; Diskectomy, Percutaneous ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Osteoblasts*

The optic canal fracture has been recognized as a clinical entity for quite sometime, and is, by no means, a rare condition. We were aware of it for last several years, and have collected five radiographically proved cases from the records. Interestingly enough, two of these patients were involved in motor-cycle accidents and revealed abrasion over the lateral end of the homolateral eye brow. Only one of these five patients had partial recovery of his vision.
Humans

STUDY DESIGN: External linkage type of spine motion analyzer and special programs for calculation of the relative angular motion and graphical display were developed and used to measure relative thoracic and lumbar motion patterns in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVES: To examine the dynamic relationship of thoracic and lumbar spines during various trunk motions and to measure main and coupling motions in three-dimensional spinal kinematics. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Many kinds of methods, such as inclinometer, stereoradiography, electrogoniometer, cadaveric study etc., were introduced for measuring lumbar spine motion. But, there is no reliable method for measuring accurate dynamic three-dimensional motion patterns of whole thoracic and lumbar spines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty healthy men, ranging in age from 21 to 29 years, participated in the study. The developed device was tested to measure spine motion patterns in flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. RESULTS: The average range of motion for flexion was 71.30degrees/16.54degrees(lumbar/thoracic), for exten-zion 25.11degrees/12.67degrees, for one side lateral bending 27.42degrees/31.71degrees, for one side axial rotation 30.86degrees/24.38degrees. There were more coupling motions in lateral bending and axial rotation than in flexion and extension. Coupling motion pattern were found to be relatively consistent among subjects in active axial rotation, and the direction of coupling motion was flexion plus ipsilateral side bending. CONCLUSIONS: It was rather simple and reliable method thor spine motion analysis. There were similarities between motion patterns of lumbar and thoracic spine. But, range of motion in sagittal plane was much greater in lumbar spine than in thoracic
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Male ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Spine*

Many kinds of lumbar diseases cause lumbar segmental instability and/or limitation of motion. But, there is no reliable method for measuring accurate trunk motion. In order to measure relative trunk motion respect to the pelvis in vitro, external linkage type of spine motion analyzer was developed. Special programs for calculation of the relative angular motion and graphical display were also developed. The developed device was tested to compare spine motion pattern between 15 normal volunteers and 18 lumbar fusion patients in flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. It was rather simple and reliable method for spine motion analysis. And it was possible to measure not only angular displacement but also angular velocity and angular acceleration. There were more coupling motions in lateral bending and axial rotation than in flexion and extension. Compared to the normal subjects, patients showed different angular motion, especially in the angular acceleration. Optimal trajectory of the trunk motion derived from mathematical model in flexion and extension matched well with measurement for normal subjects.
Acceleration ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Models, Theoretical ; Pelvis ; Spine*

The biomechanical responses, such as nucleus pulposus pressure, facet contact force, stress distribution among ligaments in the cervical spine under static loading like flexion and extension, were examined with 3-D nonlinear finite element model. Finite element model consisted of whole cervical spines with intact discs and ligaments was developed from 1mm thick CT-cross sections of a 25-year-old healthy young man. Geometrical nonlinearity was considered for the large deformation and ABAQUS package was used for calculation. Results were verified comparing with those of existing in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results indicated that, developed cervical spine FEM was well consistent with other experiments. Nucleus pulposus pressure increased in flexion and extension more in lower cervical region. Facet contact force increased more in lower cervical spine in extension. In addition, capsular ligament was the most important one among 7 cervical ligaments surrounding cervical spine both in flexion and extension. We could better understand the biomechanics of whole cervical spine with developed finite element model and it might be applied to dynamic or postoperative study.
Adult ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Spine*

BACKGROUND: Scabies outbreaks have been reported in long-term care facilities, but less commonly in acute care facilities. We experienced an outbreak of scabies that occurred in neurosurgery-intensive care unit of a general hospital, Seoul, Korea. METHODS: An outbreak of scabies was noticed on September 2006 when hospital staffs of NICU were diagnosed with scabies. The infection control nurse reviewed medical records and interviewed all of patient in NICU and health care workers. The epidemic spread of scabies from a patient to other patient, hospital employees and their families and associates was identified from historical, clinical, and microbiologic skin preparation data. RESULTS: Forty-three NICU patients and 22 health care workers were investigated. Five scabies cases were identified in total of 42 cases who are exposed to index case with attack rate of 11.9%. The attack rate of scabies in health care workers and NICU patients were 10% and 13.6%, respectively. Tertiary cases also occurred among the family members of workers, with a tertiary attack rate of 44%. CONCLUSION: The patient of acute care facilities also have chances of being exposed to scabies outbreak, since sensorimotor deficits or cognitive disorders make it difficult for individuals to communicate and understand the implication of risky contacts.
Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Long-Term Care ; Medical Records ; Scabies ; Skin

Vertebroplasty is now extensively used worldwide for thoracic and lumbar osteoporotic compression fractures. Although percutaneous vertebroplasty is considered a minimally invasive procedure, it may result in several complications. In this report, we present two patients where pyogenic spondylitis developed after vertebroplasty surgery was required. The serious nature of these infections, surgical management and complication avoidance are discussed.
Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Spondylitis* ; Vertebroplasty*

No abstract available.
Pleural Effusion*

PURPOSE: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and subsequent percutaneous ethanol injection (PEi) was attempted in 8 patients with 9 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) for complete tumor necrosis of HCCs less than 5cm in greatest diameter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PEI was performed with 2-8ml of absolute (99.9%) ethanol two weeks after TACE under CT or ultrasound guidance. For each patient PEI was done twice to four times within 4-10 days of each procedure. After completion of a series of PEI, follow up examination (range:3 months-l.5 year period) was done with angiography, CT or ultrasound and correlated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level. RESULTS: On follow up anglograms, the lesions completely disappeared or decreased in size without tumor vessels or staining in 5 of 6 patients. On follow up CT of 6 patients, the lipiodol-laden HCCs were surrounded by non-enhancing low density and the losion sizes were slightly decreased or not changed. These are suggestive of necrosis of tumor itself and adjacent liver parenchyma. The tumors could not be detected on follow up ultrasound examination in 2 patients. Serum AFP was decreased in 7 patients and was well corresponded to the results of imaging modalities. CONCLUSION: The authors concluded that the combined TACE and PEI is an appropriate treatment for small HCCs having high surgical risks.
alpha-Fetoproteins ; Angiography ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Ethanol* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Necrosis ; Ultrasonography