Many previous studies have reported that static stretching (SS) may decrease muscle stiffness and compromise muscles’ ability to produce maximal strength. However, the effects of SS at different repetition durations and numbers within a constant total time remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether SS for a constant total time (2 min) with different repetition durations and numbers (e.g., 60 s × 2 times, 30 s × 4 times, and 10 s × 12 times) produces different changes in muscle stiffness and strength. Fifteen healthy males (mean age: 23.3 ± 1.0 years) participated in this study. Muscle stiffness was measured during passive ankle dorsiflexion using dynamometer and ultrasonography. In addition, muscle strength of the plantar flexors was measured using a dynamometer at 0° of plantarflexion with the hip and knee joints fully extended. Muscle stiffness and strength were measured before and immediately after SS. Each experimental protocol was conducted in random order with at least a 1-week interval but no longer than a 2-week interval between testing sessions. The results showed that there were no significant interaction effects on muscle stiffness and strength. However, in all experimental protocols, muscle stiffness and strength immediately decreased after SS. In conclusion, SS for a constant total of 2 min decreases muscle stiffness and strength regardless of repetition durations and numbers of each individual SS.

Non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most severe knee problems for female athletes. Several studies have reported that the decreased lower limb control of women such as decrease of hip abductions muscle strength increase the risk of ACL injury. Also ACL Injury often occurs as a result of knee valgus collapse during single leg landing or pivoting in sports activities like basketball. Female basketball players often show an excessive knee valgus and hip adduction during the play. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of hip abductions muscle strength on knee alignment during a single leg landing. Thirty healthy female basketball players participated in this study. Mean age, height, body weight and plyer career were 17.3 years old±3.7, 162.7cm±17.2, 56.2kg±10.9, 8.9 years±3.8 respectively. All subjects were obtained written consent from after explanation of the procedure. Significant negative correlations showed that greater hip abductor peak torque (hip flexion 0 and 30degrees) exhibited less motion toward the knee valgus direction during single leg landing. And also, dynamic Trendelenburg test showed that all positive reactions cause knee valgus direction. These results suggest keeping proper knee position safety during single leg landing; female basketball player should improve the hip abductions muscle strength. Hip joint control will be a major issue for prevention of the non-contact ACL injury.

The effects of large doses of vitamin C on serum alkaline phosphatase activity were examined in six young healthy volunteers. The experiment lasted 30 days. The results obtained were as follows.:
he mean basal AL-P level in the six subjects was 5.9±2.3 K-A unit. Upon administration of 1g/day of vitamin C, the values increased to the mean of 6.9±2.6 K-A unit, while after a dose of 10g/day, the mean came to 6.8±2.1 K-A unit. All the subjects showed increased AL-P serum levels relative to the control period.

Curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO) was developed for the treatment of dysplastic hips in 1995. In CPO, the exposure of osteotomy sites and osteotomy of the ischium are made in the same manner as Bernese periacetabular osteotomy, and iliac and pubic osteotomies are performed in the same manner as rotational acetabular osteotomy. We studied the dynamic instabilities of 25 dysplastic hips before and after CPO using triaxial accelerometry. Overall magnitude of acceleration was significantly decreased from 2.30 +/- 0.57 m/sec2 preoperatively to 1.55 +/- 0.31 m/sec2 postoperatively. Pain relief and improvement of acetabular coverage resulting from acetabular reorientation seem to be related with reduction of dynamic instabilities of dysplastic hips. Isokinetic muscle strengths of 24 hips in 22 patients were measured preoperatively and after CPO. At 12 months postoperatively, the mean muscle strength exceeded the preoperative values. These results seem to be obtained due to no dissection of abductor muscles in CPO. The preoperative presence of acetabular cysts did not influence the results of CPO. An adequate rotation of the acetabular fragment induced cyst remodeling. Satisfactory results were obtained clinically and radiographically after CPO in patients aged 50 years or older. CPO alone for the treatment of severe dysplastic hips classified as subluxated hips of Severin group IV-b with preoperative CE angles of up to -20degrees could restore the acetabular coverage, weight-bearing area and medialization of the hip joint. CPO without any other combined procedure, as a treatment for 17 hips in 16 patients with Perthes-like deformities, produced good mid-term clinical and radiographic results. We have been performing CPO in conjunction with osteochondroplasty for the treatment of acatabular dysplasia associated with femoroacetabular impingement since 2006. The combined procedure has been providing effective correction of both acetabular dysplasia and associated femoral head-neck deformities without any increased complication rate. We have encountered an obturator artery injury in one case and two intraoperative comminuted fractures. Although serious complications such as motor nerve palsy, deep infection, necrosis of the femoral head or acetabulum, and delayed union or nonunion of the ilium were reported, such complications have never occurred in our 700 cases so far.
Acetabulum/physiopathology/*surgery ; Hip Dislocation, Congenital/complications/physiopathology/*surgery ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Hip/etiology/physiopathology/*surgery ; Osteotomy/adverse effects/*methods ; Recovery of Function

To evaluate training methods for basic clinical skills before bedside learning, we used questionnaires to ask students and instructors their opinions about the fixed-instructor system, in which one instructor teaches the entire course, and the rotation system, in which instructors share responsibilities for teaching according to their specialty. Students had positive impressions of training with both systems. Many students felt that communication with in structors was good inthe fixed-instructor system and that the specialized education provided by multiple instructors was good in the rotation system. However, students expressed dissatisfaction about differences in educational content between the systems. Instructors believed an advantage of the fixed-instructor system was that skills learned could be applied to all medical fields, whereas the rotation system made teaching easier because it was specialized. On the basis of this investigation, we conclude that training should establish good communication between instructors and students and should include the required educational contents. We also found that unifying educational contents is difficult, regardless of the training system. Few reports about educational methods used to teach basic clinical skills have been published in Japan, but studies focusing on this issue are becoming increasingly necessary.

We report a patient who underwent an operation for an infectious abdominal aortic aneurysm 10 months after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy. A 68-year-old man had previous gastrectomy for early gastric cancer and intravesical BCG therapy for early stage urinary bladder cancer. His follow up CT scan revealed an abdominal aorta pseudoaneurysm. We performed aneurysmectomy, omentopexy and bilateral axillo-femoral bypass. The culture of an abscess in the aneurysm identified Mycobacterium bovis. The patients improved clinically with antituberculosis agents after operation. Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy is effective in the treatment of early stage urinary bladder cancer. Although this treatment is generally considered safe, serious complications including vascular complications have been reported.

BACKGROUND: In general practice, though patients often stop visiting ambulatory clinics of their own vo-lition despite the need for ongoing medical treatment, there is little reported research on the reasons for nonattendance in Japan. In this study, we investigated whether the patient/doctor relationship influences nonattendance rates in general practice. In addition, we investigated the reasons why patients stopped visiting the hospital.
METHODS: We collected data from 115 patients (58 males, 57 females; age range: 16 to 94 years old, median age: 52 years old) whose initial diagnoses were made in our department from June to July 2000. We classified the patients into five groups based on the level of their complaints concerning the initial consultation (‘A’ representing the highest degree of complaint, ‘E’ representing the lowest) and determined the relationship between the strength of complaints and the non-attendance rate. Furthermore, we investigated the reasons for non-attendance concerning 28 patients who stopped visiting the hospital from April 2000 to November 2001.
RESULTS: The non-attendance rates were 0% (014) for group A, 14.3% (2114) for group B, 5.6% (5189) for group C, 33.3% (216) for group D, and 50% (1/2) for group E. The rate tended to be higher in groups with fewer complaints. The reasons for non-attendance were the following: remission of symptoms (9 patients), request for another hospital or department (6 patients), relief due to consultation at the university hospital (6 patients), and lack of time to come to the particular hospital (5 patients) . In contrast, the most common reason for satisfaction at the time of consultation was ‘enough explanation and listening to complaints well’ in 7 of 11 patients who were satisfied with the consultation.
CONCLUSIONS: The level of patient's complaints at the time of consultation is related to the non-attendance rate. However, sufficient explanation about symptoms and careful listening to complaints are important for establishing a good patient/doctor relationship.

1) We investigated the patients'evaluations of the students, our management of the medical training, and the patients' recognition of our outpatient clinic education. We then requested the patients to give their opinions regarding such interviews.
2) The patients'evaluations of the outpatient clinic and the patients'recognition of our outpatient clinic education were relatively good, but some patients complained about the short duration of medical care and also expressed anxiety over the students'medical interview.
3) Many patients expressed the desire to positively participate in medical education because the patients had high expectations of the medical students.In addition, this interview training fulfilled the patients'desire to be listened to and have their concerns acknowledged.

As a bisphosphonate, minodronate (MIN) is one of the strongest inhibitors of bone resorption. However, there have been no reports directly comparing the antiresorptive effects of monthly MIN with those of monthly risedronate (RIS). We enrolled 30 cases of osteoporosis (OP; 16 in the MIN group [mean age: 68.2 years] and 14 in the RIS group [mean age: 68.1 years]) to investigate the early effects of treatment by monthly MIN or RIS over a 4-month period using bone turnover marker values. Only female patients were enrolled to avoid gender bias. Urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) before treatment and at 1, 2, and 4 months of therapy, as well as serum bone alkaline phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase before treatment and at 4 months afterwards, were evaluated. All bone turnover marker values were significantly decreased at 4 months in both groups. The changes in urinary NTX at the study end point for RIS and MIN were -30.1% and -63.1%, respectively. From 2 months of treatment, the antiresorptive effects on urinary NTX by MIN were significantly higher than those by RIS, indicating that MIN more immediately and strongly inhibited bone absorption. Thus, monthly MIN seems to suppress bone resorption faster and more strongly than RIS in OP treatment.
Absorption ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bone Remodeling ; Bone Resorption* ; Collagen Type I ; Female ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Risedronate Sodium* ; Sexism