No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Knee ; Menisci, Tibial*

The eye is a common target organ of the allergy, and allergic conjunctivitis is the most common of eye diseases. Clinical manifestations of allergic conjunctivitis are acute bilateral red, itchy, and watery eyes. The presence of conjuncitival eosinophilia may be consided to be a diagnostic indicator of allergic conjunctivitis. ECP is a quantifiable toxic product secreted by activated cosinc phils. VCAM-1 promotes adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium in vitro and may promote imflammation in vivo. The objective of this study is to measure eosinophil count, ECP and sVCAM-1 levels of tears and sera in patients with acute allergic conjunctivitis and normal subjects and to assess the correlation of these mediators with the severity of the disease and the clinical usefulness. Seventeen subjects were selected on the basis of clinical manifestations, history, skin prick test, total IgE. A microcapillary tube was used to collect the tears from the inner canthus, conjunctival epithelia were obtained for eosinophil count by scraping the upper tarsal conjunctiva. The level of ECP was measured by CAP system (Kabi-Pharmacia, Sweden), sVCAM-1 was measured by ELISA (R&D, USA). Serum IgE and eosinophil count were in creased in 10 patients, allergic skin prick test were positive in 11 subjects (D.p: 9, D.f: 8), eosinophilia in conjunctival epithelium were present in 11 subjects (4 patients: > 3/HPF, 7 patients: 1-3/HPF). ECP in tears were increased in patients significantly (12.0+8.0 vs 3.9+3.8 ng/ml, p=0.01), but not in serum (52.5+43.1 vs 28.3+25.9 ng/ml). There is no significant correlation between eosinophil count and ECP in serum and tears (p>0.05, r-=0.19). Serum sVCA-M-1 level is significant different between patients and controls (1916.5+756.0 vs 1147.2+146.1 micro gram/ml, p=0.01), sVCAM-1 is significantly correlated to eosinophil count (p=0.01, r=0.56) and ECP (p<0.05, r=0.65). In conclusion, eosinophil and ECP in tears may be very important role in allergic conjunctivitis and are useful indicators of the disease. The elevation of sVCAM-1 in serum may be interpreted simply as marker of the presence of non-specific inflammation.
Cell Adhesion* ; Child* ; Conjunctiva ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic* ; Endothelium ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Epithelium ; Eye Diseases ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; Skin ; Tears* ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

PURPOSE: In order to know the clinical usefulness of the Bioscrew(Linvatec, USA) and the Semi-Fix (Arthrex, USA) technique for femoral fixation in ACL reconstruction using hamstring double loops, we scrutinized and compared the 24 knees. Materials and Methods: We compared Lysholm score, Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS) knee rating scores, Lachman tests, Pivot-Shift tests and KT side to side difference in 24 knees after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using hamstring double loops from August 1996 to January 1998. We have used fourteen bio-absorbable interference screws and ten Semi-fixs for femoral tunnel fixation. RESULTS: We took the data; the Lysholm score of 96.1 and 94.1; HSS score of 98.6 and 98.1; KT differ- ence of 1.3 +- 2.13(mm) and 1.2 +- 1.89(mm) after ACL reconstruction using Bioscrew or Semi-Fix respec- tively. Femoral tunnel enlargement showed 2.51 +- 1.03(mm) and 1.95 +- 2.33(mm) respectively. And we got the similar results of Pivot-shift test, Lachman test and anterior drawer test after reconstructive surgery. CONCLUSION: Since we got the similar good data in comparative clinical study between the Bioscrews and the Semi-Fix technique, we anticipatd that either the use of Semi-fix technique or the biodegradable interference screws would be bright in the fixation to femoral tunnel in ACL reconstruction using ham- string double loops.
Femur* ; Knee

No abstract available.
Knee ; Ligaments* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spinal Stenosis*

PURPOSE: A prospective randomized study was performed to compare the clinical results of standard vs. minimally invasive TKA (MIS TKA), and to identify the preoperative factors that help to figure out the indications of MIS TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients with osteoarthritic knees were randomized to standard TKA and MIS TKA groups. The operations were performed by one senior author with the same TKA system. Preoperative evaluation included body mass index (BMI), range of motion (ROM), deformity, and WOMAC and Knee Society scores. Operative factors were evaluated, including length of skin incision, operation time, and operative complications. Postoperative evaluation was performed daily until discharge from hospital, at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively, including blood loss, amount of epidural anesthesia, visual analog scale (VAS), ROM, possible day of active straight leg raising (SLR), possible day of discharge, complications, WOMAC and Knee Society scores, patient's satisfaction with the operative scar, and radiological evaluation. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in daily VAS, operation time, length of skin incision, and possible day of SLR (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in other clinical aspects that were compared in this study. Complications occurred only in MIS group; 1 partial tear of MCL and 1 fracture of lateral femoral condyle. Preoperative ROM or BMI was not correlated with longer operation time. Significantly longer operation time was observed when both the preoperative fixed flexion contracture and varus deformity were greater than 10 degrees, or one or both of them was greater than 15 degrees (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: MIS TKA has the advantage of less pain, shorter skin incision, and earlier possible SLR in the early postoperative period, but it requires a longer operation time and careful surgical technique. The surgeon should select the MIS procedure by carefully considering its advantages and disadvantages. Both the preoperative flexion contracture and varus deformity greater than 10 degrees, or one of them greater than 15 degrees seems to be the relative contraindication of MIS TKA from the result of this study.
Anesthesia, Epidural ; Arthroplasty* ; Body Mass Index ; Cicatrix ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Humans ; Knee* ; Leg ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Skin ; Visual Analog Scale

Many patients undergoing vitrectomy due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy also have diabetic ephropathy.Hence, to figure out the surgi-cal results of vitrectomy and the survival rate after vitrectomy in diabetic patients having diabetic nephropathy, we reviewed medical records of 70 patients[83 eyes]who had been followed for 3 months or longer after vitrectomy. Among them, 28 patients[33 eyes]were complicated by diabetic nephropathy.Visual acuity improved in 21 out of 33 eyes [63.6%]among the patients with nephropathy while vision improved in 29 out of 50 eyes[58.0%] among those without nephropathy.The two groups showed significant improvement of visual acuity postoperatively and the difference in visual acuity improvement between two groups was not statistically significant. The factors which affected postoperative visual acuity improvements in patients with diabetic nephropathy were preoperative panretinal photocoagulation[p=0.013]and intraoperative intraocular silicone oil injection[p=0.021]. Rate of occurrence of complications after vitrectomy and the types of the complications were similar in the two groups. During the 4-year follow up, 4 of 11 patients who had been on peritoneal dialysis or emodialysis died. These results showed that the result of vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in patients with iabetic nephropathy was not poor and suggested that diabetic nephropathy might not be a contraindication of vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Diabetic Retinopathy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Silicone Oils ; Survival Rate ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy*

No abstract available.
Gait* ; Humans ; Spinal Cord Diseases*

We report a case of atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini in which the characteristic soft atrophic patch with cliffdrop border developed on the neck and two well-demarcated indurated atrophic patches were on both shoulders. We took biopsies from centers and margins of each lesion. Histipathologic findings from atrophic center showed marked dermal atrophy comparing to that from margin of the lesion on the neck, but the atrophic center and margin of the lesion on the shoulder showed morphea-like features without, distinct differences between two.
Atrophy ; Biopsy ; Neck ; Shoulder

Epidermal growth factor(KGF) and transforming growth factor arpha(TGF-a) are polypeptides of 53 amd 50 amino acid residuies. Both bind to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGR-R) leading to phosphorylation of the receptor, enhancement of its tyrosine-specific kinase activity and ultimately to stimulation of cell growth. To study he role of EGF, TGF-a, and EGF-R in differentiation and hyperproliferation of cell, we se lected psoriasis vulgaris, because the affected keratinocyte may house both an abnormally increased proliferative capacity and an abnormally differentiated state. The biopsy specimens were taken from involved and uninvolved skin of 20 patients with psoriasis and immunoperoxidase studies with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues were performed with EGF, TGF-a and EGF-R useing the Vectastain ABC irnmunoperoxidase stain system. The antibodies were used at a concentration of 6 ug/ml In involved psoriatic skin, distributions of TGF-a and EGF-R were increased in all layers of epidermis as compared to normal, uninvolved psoriatic skin, in which chev were showed to the basal and parabasal layers. However, distribution of EGF was weekly positive in the basal layers of epidermis in both involved and uninvolved skin with no difference between toem. These results suggest that increased distribution of TGF-a and EGF-R may be involved in hypoproliferative state of epidermal keratinocytes in psoriatic lesion.
Antibodies ; Biopsy ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epidermis* ; Humans ; Keratinocytes ; Peptides ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Psoriasis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Skin ; Transforming Growth Factors