Low back pain and sciatica is one of the most frequent and troublesome problem in or thropedic field. There are many controversies about surgicsl procedure for the treatment of the patient with herniated nucleus pulposus. The advantages of anterior interbody fusion are through removal of remnsnt of the disc, restoration of disc height, correction of spinal alignment, preservation of posterior elements and neural component. The strut of ilisc bone was firmly impacted and patients could be mobilization earlier. It is well known that symptoms secondary to herniated nucleus pulposus can resolve after disc excision and anterior interbody fusion, but little has been written about regression of herniated nucleus pulposus. We analysed 20 cases in which serial C-T studies disclosed an unequivocal regression or complete disappearance of nucleus pulposus after anterior interbody fusion. The results were summerized as followings ; 1. Regression of herniated nucleus pulposus was average 2.65mm. 2. The clinical results were excellent in 20% of the patients, good in 60% and fair in 20% 3. The comparision are based on the finding at C-T, marked regression(>4mm), was in 19%, moderate regression(2~4mm) in 59% snd minimal regression(<2mm) in 22%. 4. The clinical results were correlated to amount of regression of herniated nucleus pulposus.
Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Sciatica

STUDY DESIGN: Lumbar disc degeneration and segmental instability of the lumbar spine are causes of low back pain. Disc degeneration causes specific changes of the intervertebral disc, and could affect anatomic variations of end plate and vetebral body. However, the exact relationship between degenerative changes of the intervertebral disc and segmental motion characteristics is not known. It is known that radial tears of the annulus fibrosus initiate or accompany degenerative process of nucleus pulposus and the motion segment. It is hypothesis of this study that the existence of radial tear in the annulus fibrosis affects 3 dimension motion characteristics of motion segment. For the purpose, the degree of intervertebral disc degeneration is newly classified by existence of radial tear. Then, the resulting biomechanical motions are investigated. OBJECTIVES: To investigate effects of disc degeneration by the classification on kinematic motions of the motion segment from human lumbar spine and to suggest a quantified method to determine spinal instability in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 spinal motion segments from human lumbar spine was used for this study. To measure 3 dimensioal motion of the motion segments, Vicon system(Oxford, England) with 3 cameras reflective markers and VAX station was used. 6 kinds of pure moments(flexion, extension, right and left axial rotation, and right and left lateral bending) were applied to the motion segments using dead weight for each loading step. At the end of test(maximum loading), motion segments were frozen for anatomical study. For making clear the degree of the degeneration of the disc, a new classification based on MRI results was used: Grade 1 is a normal young disc without tear; Grade 2 is a normal aging disc without radial tear; Grade 3 is a degenerative disc with radial tear; and Grade 4 is a severely degenerative disc with radial tear and other degeneration such as showing decreased disc height. RESULTS: The upper lumbar specimens with radial tears has increased flexion motions as compared to the normal group. Also, the right and left axial rotation in radial tear group increased as compared to the normal group. However, there were no statistical differences in other motions. For the lower lumbar specimens, there were no significant differences in measured motions in all directions between the normal and radial tear groups CONCLUSIONS: These results suggests that the segmental motions are affected by radial tear in the intervertebral disc. Thus, the radial tear in the annulus fibrosus of lumbar intervertebral disc could cause the instability of lumbar spine. Further research is required to determine the relationship between other structural changes and biomechanical characteristics, and future studies should include in vivo investigations to correlate these findings to patients'symptoms.
Aging ; Classification ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spine

No abstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Endoderm* ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor* ; Humans

Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome is one of the very rare genetic diseases which primarily affects face, hands and feet. At first, Freeman and Sheldon described this syndrome as cranio-carpo-tarsal dystrophy in 1938 and later Burian, as "whistling face" syndrome in 1963. There were 60 cases of reports in the world up to now, and only one paper with 5 cases in a family was reported in Korea. The authors report 2 cases of Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome associated with bilateral inguinal hernias and undescended tests in a family, briefly review the literature and alert orthopaedic surgeons to this condition.
Cryptorchidism ; Foot ; Hand ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Surgeons

No abstract available.
Knee Joint* ; Knee*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the factors affecting foveal threshold measured by blue on yellow perimetry in moderate to severe open angle glaucoma. METHODS: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients who were diagnosed as moderate to severe open angle glaucoma underwent macular threshold test of the Humphrey Field Analyzer using white and blue targets. The foveal threshold using white targets (white threshold) was more than or equal to 18 dB in all cases. The cases of foveal threshold using blue targets (blue threshold) less than or equal to 0 dB were defined as foveal sensitivity loss group (7 eyes) and those more than 0 dB as no foveal sensitivity loss group (7 eyes). Those of age, contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, refraction, mean deviation, pattern standard deviation, corrected pattern standard deviation, vertical and horizontal C/D ratio, foveal white threshold, intraocular pressure, any point within central 5degrees with sensitivity less than or equal to 0 dB in visual field test were statistically analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: Foveal white threshold and any point within central 5degrees with sensitivity less than or equal to 0 dB in visual field test showed significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Foveal dysfunction represented as decrease in blue threshold is possibly related to the paracentral scotoma which means any point within central 5degrees with sensitivity less than or equal to 0 dB in moderate to severe open angle glaucoma. However, significant deficits in either visual acuity or white threshold were not presented.
Contrast Sensitivity ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Scotoma ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Field Tests*

There are a number of published reports aimed at clarifying the effect of hormonal contracept -ives upon the quantity and quality of breast milk during postpartum and lactation periods. As to the volume of milk produced by breast feeding mothers, many authors seem to have agreed on a decrease as an established pattern in the periods following regular administration of oral contraceptives containing estrogen in varying dosage. The quality of milk following administration of hormonal contraceptives, however, remsins a controversial issue. Korea's experience in oral contraceptive is rather a brief one, but use of Eugynon has been widespread and frequent since this hormonal contraceptive was introduced into the national program in 1967. The authors have reviewed the potential significance of data concerning regular use of an oral contraceptive as affecting lactation, and have sought to clarify the interrelationship between the administration of Eugynon and quantity and quality of breast milk from mothers contracepting. with Eugynon in different periods following confinement. A total of 85 women, who were at different periods following deliveries, have been divided into, two groups, one comprising 28 women regularly taking oral pills and the other (57 women) not resorting to hormonal contraceptives if they were contracepting at all. 1. Milk Volume. In view of the possible influence of suckling on the amount of milk produced, efforts were made in this study to standardize the technique by extracting breastmilk by applying manual pressures on one side of the maw-nae, While the nipple on the other side was being sucked by the mother's own baby. The effetct of an exogenic ovarian hormone on the quantity as well as quality of breastmilk is generally understood to be inapparent until the drug is administered to women whose milk secreting function has been normalized. ") In the present study, it was observed that the decrease in the ammount of milk obtained from mothers in the periods following the 4th cycle of oral contraceptives or thereafter has turned out to be statistically insignificant. This result conforms i.u the findings by Tubari and others. It is assumed that it takes at lest 2 to 3 cycles of use before mammary glands are functionally adjusted to the use of exogenic hormonal contraceptives. 2. Specific Gravity and Composition of Milk There was no noticeable change in the protein and chloride content following continuous administration of ore.l contraceptives, while meaningful changes were observed in fat (increase) and calcium (decrease up to the 5th cycle use) contents. Also, there was a rather significant decrease in the specific gravity in the period following administration of the first cycle of the oral contraceptive. The findings from the present study partially conforms the results published by Ramadan and others, who reported that little change was noticed in the contents of total solids. ash, chlorides and lactose in the breast milk of women who had taken 4 cycles of ovosiston, although in our study lactose was not measured. Ramaden, however, reported that fat content did increase in the same milk, as in our study. A definitive conclusion, however, could not be made unless measures are taken to rule out the physiological changes of the maternal body affecting the composition of milks.
Breast Feeding ; Calcium ; Chlorides ; Contraceptive Agents ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Estrogens ; Ethinyl Estradiol-Norgestrel Combination ; Female ; Health Resorts ; Humans ; Lactation* ; Lactose ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Milk ; Milk, Human ; Mothers ; Nipples ; Postpartum Period ; Specific Gravity

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the heart is a very rare disease. It is difficult to distinguish from myxoma which is most common benign cardiac tumor. Prognosis of malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the heart is known to be fatal despite of medical and surgical treatment in contrast to benign tumors. A primary myxoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the left atrium was diagnosed in a 58 years old woman. The mass was removed incompletely by operation. The patient did not receive either chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, the patient is still alive for more than fifteen months after the initial presentation. We report a case of malignant fi brous histiocytoma (MFH) with reviewing the current references.
Drug Therapy ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Heart Neoplasms ; Heart* ; Histiocytoma ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Rare Diseases

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to deterrnine the efficacy of maternal corticosteroid therapy on the morbidity of premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks' gestation. METHOD: A total of 62 premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks gestation admitted to pediatric department of National Medical Center from Nov, 1990 to June 1996 were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of prenatal corticosteroid therapy on the morbidity such as hyaline membrane disease, intreventricular hernorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, neonatal death, days on ventilation and hospital days. RESULT: Among 62 women who delivered premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks, 22 received betamethasone before delivery and 40 did not. 1) The rate of hyaline membrane disease was less in the betamethasone group (41% vs. 70%, P<0.05). 2) The rate of intracranial hemorrhage was less in the betamethasone group (0 vs. 20%, P<0.05). 3) The days of ventilator care was less in the betamethasone group among survival cases (27+/-3.2 vs. 5.2+/-4.6, P<05). 4) Arnong 14 women who delivered at 26 to 28 weeks, 4 received betamethasone before delivery and 10 did not. The rate of neonatal death was less in the betamethasone group (o% vs. 80%, P<0.05). 5) Among 48 women who delivered at 29 to 31 weeks, 18 received betamethasone before delivery and 30 did not. The rate of hyaline membrane disease was less in the betamethasone group (39% vs. 73%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Betamethasone appears to reduce hyaline membrane disease, intraven- tricular hemorrhage, neonatal death and the morbidity significantly in premature infants between 26 and 31 weeks' gestation.
Betamethasone ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyaline Membrane Disease ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Pregnancy ; Sepsis ; Ventilation ; Ventilators, Mechanical