We reviewed radiographs of 11 patients with 17 total knee replacement arthroplasty(TKRA) cases. These patients had a residual flexion contracture over 20 degree after TKRA that corrected spontaneously during follow-up. The mean age of patients was 46.5 years(range, from twenty nine to sixty six). Seven patients were bilateral cases and all knees were cases of rheumatoid arthritis. The mean preoperative flex- ion contracture was 53.8 and immediately postoperative contracture was 23.5. The remaining flexion contracture after TKRA was completely corrected during follow-up period in all cases. We measured the distance from upper margin of tibial components to a certain point on the fibula. This point is on a line perpendicular to long axis of the tibia, drawn from a certain point on the fibula. This dis- tance was measured on postoperative radiographs and radiographs with improved flexion contracture, and the differences calculated. There was no significant difference between the two distances. Although the number of cases are small, we conclude that flexion contracture might be corrected to the extent of 20-30 degree by soft tissue stretching rather than bone subsidence.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Contracture* ; Fibula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Tibia

We report a rare case of the idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis (IMGN) in association with the thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy (TGBMN) in a 63-year-old female with hematuria. This is the first case reported in Korea. In renal biopsy of this case, direct immunofluorescence demonstrated anti-IgG Ab along the glomerular capillary wall with granular pattern. The basement membrane was thin, about 170-220 nm and small epimembranous electron dense deposits were observed by electron microscopy. As this case, the combination of TGBMN and IMGN is very uncommon because the IMGN is characterized morphologically by diffuse global thickening of the glomerular capillary wall, while the TGBMN is defined as an extreme thinning of the glomerular basement membrane, less than 200 nm. Our case showed no renal function deterioration and benign prognosis as other reports showed.
Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Glomerular Basement Membrane* ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Korea ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: This study was designed to clarify the osseointegration of the titanium screw coated with CMP, in regard to the time schedule, through the characteristic of early osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mechanical, radiological and histomophometric measurements were performed in 28 rabbit tibial proximal metaphyseal cortical bone screws 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after surgery for the in vivo comparison of the osseointegration of titanium screws (3.75 mm diameter, 5 mm length) with different surface treatments: CMP coating group, with the sol-gel method (experimental group) and uncoated group (control group). RESULTS: 1. Radiology: There were no differences between the two groups without a radiolucent line or in regard to the time schedule. 2. Histology: There were no differences between the two groups without a fibrous tissue intervening surface or in regard to the time schedule. 3. Torque test: The test results for the CMP coated group were 1.5 times higher than those for the uncoated group, which was statistically meaningful, but there was no difference in regard to the time schedule. CONCLUSION: CMP coating is an option to increase the osseointegration of the titanium screw.
Appointments and Schedules ; Bone Screws ; Ceramics* ; Osseointegration* ; Tibia ; Titanium ; Torque

Castleman's disease is a rare disorder characterized by tumorous masses that may develop in the lymph node tissue throughout the body. Most common location is mediastinum, but it can also affect retroperitoneum, neck, pelvis, and/or axilla. It may exceptionally affect extranodal sites like striated muscle, thoracic wall, lungs, skull, larynx, and/or vulva. The presentation is varied and diagnosis is difficult. There are two main types of Castleman's disease: hyaline-vascular type and plasma cell type. The hyaline vascular type accounts for approximately 90% of the cases. Most individuals exhibit no symptoms of this form of the disorder or they may develop non-cancerous growths in the lymph nodes. The plasma cell type is often associated with fever, weight loss, skin rash, early destruction of red blood cells, leading to unusually low levels of circulating red blood cells (hemolytic anemia), and/ or abnormally increased amounts of certain immune factors in the blood (hypergammaglobulinemia). We here report a case of Castleman's disease of ileal mesentery in 30-years old female patient. Abdominal mass, 4.7x3.6 cm in size, was completely removed from ileal mesentery without complication, and confirmed histologically mesenteric Castleman's disease of the mixed type.
Adult ; Axilla ; Diagnosis ; Erythrocytes ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Giant Lymph Node Hyperplasia* ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Immunologic Factors ; Larynx ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mediastinum ; Mesentery ; Muscle, Striated ; Neck ; Pelvis ; Plasma Cells ; Skull ; Thoracic Wall ; Vulva ; Weight Loss

Background: and Purpose Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are the most common form of hereditary ataxias. Extracerebellar signs have been well described and are helpful in differentiating the SCA subtypes. However, there are few reports on the early-stage extracerebellar signs in various SCA subtypes. This study explored the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of early-stage SCAs in the Korean population. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of genetically confirmed SCA patients with a disease duration of <5 years. Data on baseline characteristics, extracerebellar signs, and initial MRI findings were organized based on SCA subtypes. Results: This study included 117 SCA patients with a median age at onset of 40.6 years. The family history was positive in 71.8% of the patients, and the median disease duration and the score on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia at the initial visit were 2.6 years and 5.0, respectively. SCA3 was the most prevalent subtype, and oculomotor abnormalities were the most frequent extracerebellar signs in early-stage SCAs. Saccadic slowing was characteristic of SCA2 and SCA7, and gaze-evoked nystagmus was prominent in SCA6. Parkinsonism was relatively frequent in SCA8 and SCA3. Decreased visual acuity was specific for SCA7. Dementia was not an early manifestation of SCAs. Brain MRI revealed a pattern of pontocerebellar atrophy in SCA2 and SCA7, while SCA6 demonstrated only cerebellar cortical atrophy. Conclusions SCA patients exhibited diverse extracerebellar signs even in the early stage.Specific extracerebellar signs were characteristic of specific subtypes, which could facilitate differential diagnoses of early-stage SCAs.

Background: and Purpose Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are the most common form of hereditary ataxias. Extracerebellar signs have been well described and are helpful in differentiating the SCA subtypes. However, there are few reports on the early-stage extracerebellar signs in various SCA subtypes. This study explored the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of early-stage SCAs in the Korean population. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of genetically confirmed SCA patients with a disease duration of <5 years. Data on baseline characteristics, extracerebellar signs, and initial MRI findings were organized based on SCA subtypes. Results: This study included 117 SCA patients with a median age at onset of 40.6 years. The family history was positive in 71.8% of the patients, and the median disease duration and the score on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia at the initial visit were 2.6 years and 5.0, respectively. SCA3 was the most prevalent subtype, and oculomotor abnormalities were the most frequent extracerebellar signs in early-stage SCAs. Saccadic slowing was characteristic of SCA2 and SCA7, and gaze-evoked nystagmus was prominent in SCA6. Parkinsonism was relatively frequent in SCA8 and SCA3. Decreased visual acuity was specific for SCA7. Dementia was not an early manifestation of SCAs. Brain MRI revealed a pattern of pontocerebellar atrophy in SCA2 and SCA7, while SCA6 demonstrated only cerebellar cortical atrophy. Conclusions SCA patients exhibited diverse extracerebellar signs even in the early stage.Specific extracerebellar signs were characteristic of specific subtypes, which could facilitate differential diagnoses of early-stage SCAs.

α-Iso-cubebene (ICB) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignin contained in Schisandra chinensis (SC), a well-known medicinal herb that ameliorates cardiovascular symptoms, but the mechanism responsible for this activity has not been determined. To determine the role played by ICB on the regulation of vascular tone, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ICB on vascular contractile responses by adrenergic α-receptor agonists. In addition, we investigated the role on myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation and cytosolic calcium concentration in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). In aortic rings isolated from C57BL/6J mice, ICB significantly attenuated the contraction induced by phenylephrine (PE) and norepinephrine (NE), whereas ICB had no effects on KCl (60 mM)-induced contraction. In vasculatures precontracted with PE, ICB caused marked relaxation of aortic rings with or without endothelium, suggesting a direct effect on VSMC. In cultured rat VSMC, PE or NE increased MLC phosphorylation and increased cytosolic calcium levels. Both of these effects were significantly suppressed by ICB. In conclusion, our results showed that ICB regulated vascular tone by inhibiting MLC phosphorylation and calcium flux into VSMC, and suggest that ICB has anti-hypertensive properties and therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disorders related to vascular hypertension.
Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Calcium ; Cytosol ; Endothelium ; Hypertension ; Lignin ; Mice ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Myosin Light Chains* ; Myosins* ; Norepinephrine ; Phenylephrine ; Phosphorylation* ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rats ; Relaxation ; Schisandra

Background: and PurposeImpulse-control disorder is an important nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that can lead to financial and social problems, and be related to a poor quality of life. A nationwide multicenter prospective study was performed with the aim of validating the Korean Version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (K-QUIP-RS). Methods: The K-QUIP-RS was constructed using forward and backward translation, and pretesting of the prefinal version. PD patients on stable medical condition were recruited from 27 movement-disorder clinics. Participants were assessed using the K-QUIP-RS and evaluated for parkinsonian motor and nonmotor statuses and for PD-related quality of life using a predefined evaluation battery. The test–retest reliability of the K-QUIP-RS was assessed over an interval of 10–14 days, and correlations between the KQUIP-RS and other clinical scales were analyzed. Results: This study enrolled 136 patients. The internal consistency of the K-QUIP-RS was indicated by a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.846, as was the test–retest reliability by a Guttman split-half coefficient of 0.808. The total K-QUIP-RS score was positively correlated with the scores for depression and motivation items on the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale, and Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep-Behavior-Disorders Questionnaire. The total K-QUIP-RS score was also correlated with the scores on part II of the UPDRS and the PD Quality of Life-39 questionnaire, and the dopaminergic medication dose. Conclusions The K-QUIP-RS appears to be a reliable assessment tool for impulse-control and related behavioral disturbances in the Korean PD population.