PURPOSE: The administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by protracted intravenous infusion is an alternative to the bolus administration of 5-FU in patients with advanced colorectal cancers. This study was performed to evaluate the response rate and toxicities of protracted infusion of 5-FU in patients with advanced or recurrent colorectal cancers who had been treated with 5-FU by bolus or shortterm continuous administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1995 and June 1997, twenty-eight patients with advanced colorectal cancer previously exposed to 5-FU based chemotherapy were enrolled in this triaL Patients received 5-FU (250 mg/m(2)/day days 1-28) or 5-FU plus leucovorin (5-FU; 200 mg/m/day days 1-28, leucovorin; 20 mg/m IV days 1, 8, 15, 21) by ambulatory infusion pump. Treatment course was repeated every 42 days until disease progression. RESULT: Twenty-eight patients entered. All 28 patients were assessable for response and toxicity. Five (19%) patients achieved a partial response, with the median response duration of 15 weeks (range; 7-22 weeks), and median survival time of entire patients was 54 weeks (range 7-151+ weeks). Gastrointestinal toxicity, specifically stomatitis was a major toxicity (grade 2, 12%; grade 3, 4%), but hand-foot syndrome was less frequent (5%) compared with other trials with protracted infusion of 5-FU reported in the literature. Hematologic toxicity was generally of low grade. CONCLUSION: Prolonged intravenous infusion of 5-FU can produce a response rate of 19% with low toxicity among patients refractory to bolus or short-term infusion of S-FU.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Disease Progression ; Drug Therapy* ; Fluorouracil* ; Hand-Foot Syndrome ; Humans ; Infusion Pumps ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Leucovorin ; Stomatitis

PURPOSE: We retrospectively evaluated the early results after total knee arthroplasty(TKA) using the Nexgen LPS-Flex fixed bearing knee system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-five knees(71 patients) which used the LPS-Flex system for primary TKA and followed-up for a minimum 2 years were evaluated. Evaluation included preoperative and postoperative range of motion(ROM), factors affecting the postoperative ROM, Knee Society Score(KSS), knee function score, tibio-femoral angle and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Knee ROM was increased from preoperative 9.7 degrees - 123.6 degrees to postoperative 1.7 degrees - 130.7 degrees. The mean KSS and function score were improved from preoperative 53, 55 to postoperative 85 and 90 respectively. The tibio-femoral angle was changed from preoperative 5.5 degrees varus to a postoperative 5.3 degrees valgus. Two cases of early loosening of the femoral components occurred. One case underwent revision surgery while the other was closely followed up. There was no deep infection. CONCLUSION: Primary total knee arthroplasty with Nexgen LPS-flex system showed satisfactory early results including excellent ROM, except 2 cases of early loosening of femoral component. The etiology of this loosening requires further evaluation and study.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee* ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To assess the histological degeneration of the cruciate ligaments and it's correlation with gross appearance of the cruciate ligaments and functional status of the knee. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of cruciate ligaments were made in 80 osteoarthritic knees undergoing cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Gross appearance was classified into "normal", "abnormal" and "tear". A scoring system was made to represent the degree of histological degeneration, and correlation with the gross appearance and functional status by knee society score (KSS) was statistically analysed. RESULT: Gross appearance of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was "normal" in 24 cases, "abnormal" in 50 and "tear" in 6 with average histological score 3.7, 4.5 and 8.0 respectively. Gross appearance of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was "normal" in 70, "abnormal" in 10 with average histological score 3.8 and 6.4 respectively. There was no "tear" of the PCL. Gross appearance of the ACL was correlated with histological score of ACL and PCL (p<0.05) and KSS (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Gross appearance of the ACL was related to the degree of histological degeneration of the PCL as well as the ACL and functional loss of the knee. Therefore intraoperative gross appearance of the ACL can be one of the factors to decide if the PCL would be sacrificed or not during TKA.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Arthroplasty ; Knee* ; Ligaments* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament