The Ilizarov technique has been used successfully in the treatment of nonunion of long bone accompanied by infection, severe bone and soft tissue defects, and deformity. We report the results of treatment of 21 cases of nonunion using the Ilizarov technique. There were 20 males and 1 female with an average age of 34.2 years (range, 8-72 years). The average follow up period was 45 months (range, 12-74months). Infected nonunion(15/21 cases) was the most common cause of nonunion. The treatment methods include simple compression method(4 cases) and internal and external bone transport method(17 cases). Bony union was achieved in 20 cases out of 21 cases. One case is still having difficulty in achieving union. The mean time to union was 7.3 months in femurs and 6.3 months in tibias. The amount of bone defect that developed after the removal of infected bone fragments and soft tissue averaged 3.8cm (range, 2.3-9cm). The healing index, in cases of bone transport, was an average of 45 days per cm (range, 30-62 days per cm). Complications developed in 17 cases out of 21 cases. Pin site infection occurred in 5 cases, premature consolidation in ~1 case, angulation deformity in 2 cases, LOM of the knee in 2 cases, equinus deformity in 2 cases, ankle stiffness in 3 cases, and nonunion in 1 case. The Ilizarov technique is thought to be effective in the treatment of complicated nonunion combined with shortening, deformity, bone defect and infection. However, in order to reduce complications caused by the Ilizarov method, accurate surgical techniques and postoperative care are necessary.
Ankle ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Equinus Deformity ; External Fixators* ; Female ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ilizarov Technique ; Knee ; Male ; Postoperative Care ; Tibia

Since Pare's first report on Achilles tendon rupture in 1575, many authors have presented numerous operative and nonoperative methods for its treatment. Numerous controversies following its treatment have been concerned with the selection of its treatment method, which could minimizing the complications and enable early ambulation. We analysed 98 cases of Achilles tendon rupture in adults which were treated by direct repair, three-tissue bundle technique, or Plantaris/Peroneus augmentation repair for 3(1)/4 years from Oct. 1986 to Dec. 1989. We compared with types of cast after operation, periods for immobilization, and ankle motion of dorsiflexion at postoperative 6 weeks & long-term follow up. The results obtained from this study were as follows; l. After repair by three-tissue bundle technique, a short leg cast was applied, and then a weight bearing was started at postoperative 3 weeks. It can be demonstrated to shorten hospitalization and early ambulation when compared to other surgical techinques. 2. The patients who were repaired with the three-tissue bundle techinque averaged 12.5° dorsiflexion at the time of cast removal at postoperative 6 weeks, compared to 0°, 1° plantar flexion, and 4.4° plantar flexion with other techniques. The former group was significantly better than that of the latter group, and these differences were not present at long-term follow up. 3. On follow up period, discoverd complications were rerupture of Achilles tendon in 8 cases and mild wound infection in 3 cases, but the patients who were repaired by the three-tissne bundle technique showed no complications except mild wound infection in one case.
Achilles Tendon ; Adult ; Ankle ; Early Ambulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Leg ; Methods ; Rupture ; Weight-Bearing ; Wound Infection

PURPOSE: Current evidence indicates that ultrasonography of the breast is an important adjunct to mammography and clinical examination in the diagnosis of palpable breast abnormalities. An assessment of the value of office-based ultrasonography of a palpable breast mass performed by a breast surgeon was the aim of this work. METHODS: A 7.5 MHz linear probe was used to perform office-based ultrasonography in 109 consecutive female patients having a palpable solid breast mass between August 1998 and December 1999. Breast masses diagnosed histologically as fibroadenomas or breast cancer were included in this study. The clinical impression from the physical examination (PE), the result of officed-based ultrasonography done by a surgeon (OUSG), and comprehensive judgement engaging both PE and OUSG (PEUSG) were recorded in each patient's hospital record as benign or malignant at the first visit. The diagnostic values of PE, OUSG, PEUSG, mammography (MMG), and ultrasonography done by a radiologist (USG) were compared. RESULTS: Of 109 masses, a fibroadenoma was diagnosed in 73 patients while a carcinoma was established in 36 patients. The sensitivity, the specificity, the accuracy rate, and the kappa coefficient were 91.7%, 89.0%, 89.9%, and 0.780 for PE; 100%, 90.4%, 93.6%, and 0.862 for OUSG; 97.2%, 97.3%, 97.2%, and 0.938 for PEUSG; 90.4%, 89.4%, 90%, and 0.630 for MMG; and 88.9%, 90.9%, 90% and 0.798 for USG. The diagnostic accuracy of PEUSG was significantly higher than those of PE and MG (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that office-based ultrasonography of the breast performed by a surgeon is a useful adjunct to clinical evaluation of the breast mass and permits timely and cost-effective patient care.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Mammography ; Patient Care ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

About half of all burst fractures at the thoracolumbar junction lead to neurological impairment and several clinical series have demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between canal encroachment and neurologic impairment, but not directly related. Spontaneous canal remodelling over time due to bone resorption has been observed in conservatively treated burst fractures. The aim of this study was to measure spinal canal remodelling after stabilization of burst fractures. So, we evaluated 22 cases of surgically stabilized burst fractures of thoracolumbar junction about pre and postoperative spinal canal stenotic ratio and canal remodelling by bone resorption over time. The results were as follows; l. Pedicle splaying increases the spinal canal area and necessitates correction. 2. Patients with neurological deficits had average 53% encroachment and the neurological normal patient had a canal compromise of 33.9%. 3. Postoperatively canal encroachment had decreased to a mean of 17.4% and further reduced by resorption of bony fragment to a mean of 8.3% within 14 months. In conclusions, remodelling of the spinal canal by resorption of encroaching bone fragments is a consistent feature in surgically stabilized thoracolumbar burst fractures and most patients regain their prefracture canal demensions within 14 months.
Bone Resorption ; Humans ; Spinal Canal*

The use of lower extremity tourniquets for procedures of the lower leg is considered routine in orthopedic surgery, but, lower extremity tourniquets do harm occasionally. While the tourniquet is inflated, metabolic changes such as increased PaCO2 , lactic acid, and serum potassium and decreased level of PaO2 and pH occur in the ischemic limb. Deflation of tourniquet results in release of anaerobic metabolic products during ischemia into systemic circulation. In this ischemia/reperfusion situation, oxygen free radicals could potentially be produced during the reperfusion period by several mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is release of intracellular superoxide or hydrogen peroxide by activated neutrophils in the area. These reactive oxygen species(ROS) could be a causative factor for the postreperfusion no-flow, lung injury, induction of tourniquet shock, etc. The purpose of this clinical study was to investigate the effect of tourniquet deflation on the hemodynamic changes, changes of blood gas analysis, and hydrogen peroxide production using flow cytometric analysis of fluorescent DCF(Dichlorofluorescein). Quantitative analysis of fluorescent DCF was performed in resting and fMLP(N-formyl-methyonyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) or PMA(phorbol myristate acetate) stimulated neutrophils. Also differences of these factors between two groups of tourniquet time, one is less than one hour and the other more than one to two hours, were analysed. The hemodynamics(blood pressure, pulse rate), arterial PO2, bicarbonate, base excess, and hydrogen peroxide production showed no significant change before and after tourniquet release(p>0.05). Arterial pH and PaCO2 decreased significantly until 10 and 5 minutes after tourniquet release, respectively(p>0.05). Tourniquet time didn’t reveal any significances differences. These results indicate that tourniquet application with400mmHg pressure and less than 2 hours does not release significant hydrogen peroxide into systemic circulation during reperfusion period after tourniquet release.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Clinical Study ; Extremities ; Flow Cytometry ; Free Radicals ; Hemodynamics ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Hydrogen ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Ischemia ; Lactic Acid ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Lung Injury ; Myristic Acid ; Neutrophils ; Orthopedics ; Oxygen ; Potassium ; Reperfusion ; Shock ; Superoxides ; Tourniquets

The bleeding duodenal varices are a rare complication in patients with portal hypertension, but present a difficult diagnostic problem. If there is no bleeding esophageal, gastric fundal varices or ulcer in a patient with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and portal hypertension, the possibility of bleeding duodenal varices should be kept in mind. Thorough endoscopic examination of the entire duodenal mucosa is essential to document bleeding from duodenal varices. As an initial treatment, endoscopic sclerotherapy has had limited success in controlling active duodenal variceal bleeding. However, rebleeding rate is high, surgical treatment including shunt operation may be required for permanent control of bleeding and portal decompression. We report three cases of duodenal varices causing massive hemorrhage. All the patients had portal hypertension caused by liver cirrhosis of various etiologies and had varices in their esophagus. The second portion of the duodenum was the site of duodenal varices in all cases. The management was tailored to the condition of each patient, but only one patient among three survived.
Decompression ; Duodenum ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Esophagus ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Mucous Membrane ; Sclerotherapy ; Ulcer ; Varicose Veins*

The diagnostic methods of evaluating infravesical obstruction, especially in BPH, are based on symptoms, history, digital rectal examination, intravenous pyelography, ultrasonography, uroflowmetry and residual urine, etc. But these methods cannot accurately and objectively evaluate infravesical obstruction. We measured voiding cystometry with uroflowmetry and urethral pressure profile in 24 BPH patients by Dantec UD5500. We classified the degree of obstruction into obstructive, equivocal and nonobstructive types by Griffiths' obstructive nomogram and Type 0 - VI by Schaefer's nomogram after computer assisted pressure-flow analysis. Among 24 patients, obstructive type was in 12, equivocal type in 6, and nonobstructive type in 6 by Griffiths' obstructive nomogram. Based on Schaefer's nomogram, type 0 was in 4 patients, type I in 6, type III in 4, type IV in 2, type V in 4 and type VI in 4. In our analyzed urodynamic parameters, Qmax, Pdet, Pmuo, Atheo and URA had statistical significance(p<0.05). We consider Griffiths' obstructive nomogram and Schaefer's nomogram based on pressure flow plot are objective methods of accurately evaluating infravesical obstruction.
Digital Rectal Examination ; Humans ; Nomograms ; Ultrasonography ; Urodynamics ; Urography

No abstract available.
Angiocardiography* ; Contrast Media* ; Electrolytes* ; Osmolar Concentration* ; Plasma* ; Renin*

No abstract available.
Immunoglobulins* ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory*