PURPOSE: To assess the clinical and functional outcome of the patients who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty with bone cement for the osteoporotic compression fracture and who had been followed up for minimum 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 110 patients who had been undergone percutaneous vertebroplasty with bone cement for osteoporotic compression fracture in Gangneung Asan Hospital from January 2001 to August 2002, 75 patients who had been followed up for more than 1 year were selected. And retrospectively, we analyzed the clinical and radiographic finding of 1 year, 2 year and 3 year follow-up. The patients were divided into 3 groups, the first group who have follow-up period of the from 1 to 2 years had 75 patients, the second group who the from 2 to 3 years, 49 patients, and the third group who the more than 3 years, 20 patients. We graded the clinical results to excellent, good, normal, fair and poor. Also, we assessed the height of vertebral body, the adjacent vertebral body fracture and the leakage of bone cement. RESULTS: 74 patients (98.6%) had the excellent or good results postoperatively. 69 patients (92%) of the first group, 46 patients (93.8%) of the second group and 16 patients (80%) of the third group had excellent or good results at last follow-up. There was no statistical correlation of each groups (p>0.05). In first group, the average height of body was 71.1% preoperatively, 73.5% postoperatively and 73.5% at follow-up. In second group, 71.5%, 75.5%, and 73.1%. In third group, 71.2%, 78.0% and 77.8%. There was no significant statistical correlation of each groups (p>0.05). 47cases (38.8%) had some leakage of cement immediate postoperatively. In 4 cases (7 vertebra), there were adjacent vertebral body fractures. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of our study, percutaneous vertebroplasty is a useful method in the treatment for the osteoporotic compression fracture of vertebra body.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Fractures, Compression* ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Vertebroplasty*

Epidemiological studies have suggested an association between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease. In this study, we examined the neurotoxicity of an organochlorine pesticide, heptachlor, in vitro and in vivo. In cultured SH-SY5Y cells, heptachlor induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. When injected into mice intraperitoneally on a subchronic schedule, heptachlor induced selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. In addition, the heptachlor injection induced gliosis of microglia and astrocytes selectively in the ventral midbrain area. When the general locomotor activities were monitored by open field test, the heptachlor injection did not induce any gross motor dysfunction. However, the compound induced Parkinsonism-like movement deficits when assessed by a gait and a pole test. These results suggest that heptachlor can induce Parkinson's disease-related neurotoxicities in vivo.
Animals ; *Apoptosis ; Astrocytes/drug effects/pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cells, Cultured ; Dopaminergic Neurons/*drug effects/pathology ; Gait ; Heptachlor/*toxicity ; Humans ; *Locomotion ; Mice ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/etiology/physiopathology ; Parkinsonian Disorders/chemically induced ; Pesticides/*toxicity ; Substantia Nigra/*drug effects/pathology/physiopathology