Bone single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) of the knees has been shown to be of diagnostic value for the investigation of intemal derangement of knees(IDK). This study compared bone SPECT and magnetic resonance image(MRI) with arthroscopic findings for the diagnosis of IDK. Fifty patients who had been performed arthroscopy in Seoul National University Hospital from January 1997 to September 1997 were studied with both the modalities preoperatively. There were 38 meniscal injuries, 26 cruciate ligament injuries and 8 cases of patellofemoral joint problems. In view of SPECT, the most remarkable results were from meniscal tears. In meniscal tears, the diagnostic values of SPECT were 89.5% of sensitivity, 66.7% of specificity, 84% of diagnostic accuracy, which were comparable to those of MRI, 97.4%, 91.7% and 96%, respectively. But SPECT showed inferior diagnostic values in cruciate ligament injuries. For anterior knee pain, SPECT was more sensitive than MRI for the detection of pathology. And for functionally related cases, such as ACL impingement to intercondylar notch, SPECT was far more valuable than MRI. Bone SPECT will not provide the anatomical detail of MRI but seems to be a useful tool for the detection of wide range of knee disorders including IDK. Further research is justified to investigate the precise role of bone SPECT in clinical practice and its value in relation to MRI.
Arthroscopy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Knee* ; Ligaments ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Patellofemoral Joint ; Pathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Seoul ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Traumatic lip injury is one of the most common clinical conditions in facial injuries. Nonetheless, the degree of the convex and concave slopes on the vermilion border appears to be unique and dynamic; therefore, the reconstruction of the lip defect is always challenging for plastic surgeons [1]. We present a patient who fell off a motorcycle at speed and had a severe friction burn injury with a significant loss of the skin and soft tissue on the left lower lip.

Postburn scar and contracture (PBSC) occur after severe burn injuries, and the deformity causes functional problems in the patients. The patients have difficulty even with simple everyday tasks, so their socioeconomic status seems to be limited or rather to be in a poor stage. This makes the quality of their daily life very low. Certainly, sooner or later, the postburn contracture release operation is performed to restore the functions such as flexion, extension, rotation, and other movements of the injured region. We present the case of a patient who has suffered PBSC for an extended period, and, at last, she has had a PBSC releasing operation with the composite skin graft, split-thickness skin graft with a dermal substitute.

Crushing burn injury on the hand is relatively rare these days. Still, the effect of the combined thermal and press damage is very severe, and, therefore, the deformity or disability of the hand is often the consequence of the accident. Early aggressive debridement or fasciotomy is preferred for the treatment after admission. We present an extremely severe burn case: the patient has had a full-thickness third-degree hot crushing injury on the hand with all dermal elements, muscles, and tendons destroyed.