There is much controversy concerning the method of treatment on the tibial fracture because of frequent complications, such as non-union, delayed union and infection. Authors reviewed and analyzed 110 tibial fractures which had been treated at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sung Ae General Hospital from June 1983 to March 1987 by the groups, conservative treatment, open reduction and internal fixation with compression plate and closed flexible intramedullary nailing. The results were as follows :1. In regard to the fracture location, there was no difference in the healing time among the treatment methods. The I.M. nailing group healed 1.5 weeks earlier than other groups in each location. 2. In minor and moderate severity by Ellis, the I.M. nailing group revealed better result, and in major one, the compression plate group showed better result. More complications occured in major severity. 3. Union time among the trestment methods was not affected by the fibular fractures, but most of the complications occured in the concomitant fibular fracture case. 4. In open fracture, the healing time showed no difference among the groups, and was prolonged about 2 weeks than closed fracture. In closed case, the I.M. nailing group showed good result. 5. The cases, which were reduced earlier in the conservative group, and treated within 3 days in the I.M. nailing group revesled better result. 6. The radiological union time from the definite treatment was 15.80 weeks in the conservative treatment group, 15.18 weeks in the compression plate group and 13.92 weeks in the I.M. nailing group.
Clinical Study ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Fractures, Closed ; Fractures, Open ; Hospitals, General ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Tibia ; Tibial Fractures

Congenital dislocation of the knee is very rare deformity and presents with anterior displacement of the tibia in relation to the femur. Early gentle manipulation and serial splintage or plaster cast is recommended for treatment and successful in the majority except the case of quadriceps contracture or late correction. We experienced two cases of bilateral congenital dislocation of the knee who had been treated with early gentle manipularion, immobilization with serial corrective dual splint, passive stretching and night splint. Our results are good in both cases.
Casts, Surgical ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Dislocations ; Femur ; Immobilization ; Knee ; Muscle Stretching Exercises ; Splints ; Tibia

Several growth factors and polypeptides are not commonly yet used for regenerators of bone tissue or alveolar bone because of the insufficiency of studies on their side effects, genetic engineering for mass production and stability for clinical application. Recently, many herbal medicines, which have advantage of less side effects and possibility of long-term use, have been studied for their capacity and effects of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative potential of periodontal tissues. Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have been traditionally used as medicines for treatment of bone disease in Eastern medicine. The objective of the present study is to examine the ability of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB1) when several natural medicines were supplemented. hFOB1 were cultured with Dulbecuo's Modified Eagle's Medium Nutrient Mixture F-12 HAM ( DMEM/F-12 1:1 Mixture, Sigma, USA) and negative control, dexamethasone (positive control), and each natural medicines for 3 days. And then ALP activity was measured by spectrophotometer for enzyme activity and Alizarin red S staining for morphometry. Among the natural medicines of this study, Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba induced higher activity of ALP synthesis than negative controls in all experimental group. Albizziae Cortex showed mild increases than negative control group. According to measurement of positively stained area, all of the natural medicines of this study increased compared to negative control. Especially, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba showed statistical significance compared to negative control (p<0.05). These results indicate that Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have an inducing ability of ALP synthesis on osteoblast.
Albizzia ; Alkaline Phosphatase* ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Diseases ; Dexamethasone ; Genetic Engineering ; Humans* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Morinda ; Osteoblasts* ; Peptides

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn*

Twenty-four ma1e a1bino rats were chosen at random and divided into two dietary groups: one for control (diet 1) and the other for an experimental diet (diet 2). Diet II consisted of the basal diet supplemented with red pepper powder in increasing amounts from 1.25%, 1.8% and 2.5% to 3.6%. With a red pepper diet at the 2.5% level, there was a significantly lower efficiency of food utilization. (p=0.05) The apparent digestlbility of calcium with red pepper concentrations from 2.5 to 35% was about 13% greater than in tile control diet. Thus red pepper appears to affect the solubility of calcium in the diet. Serum alpha-Carotene and Vitamin A showed a tendency to increase slightly with a red pepper diet. No histological changes in the gastric mucosa cells were observed in rats fed a red pepper diet. Further investigation is required to define the effects of red pepper in different species of animals.
Absorption* ; Animals ; Calcium* ; Capsicum* ; Diet ; Gastric Mucosa ; Rats* ; Solubility ; Vitamin A* ; Vitamins*

Cyclospora cayetanensis is an apicomplexan protozoan and is one of the most common pathogens causing chronic diarrhea worldwide. Eight stool samples with diarrheal symptom out of 18 Korean residents who traveled to Nepal were obtained, and examined for 25 enteropathogens including 16 bacterial species, 5 viral species, and 4 protozoans in stool samples as causative agents of water-borne and food-borne disease. Only C. cayetanensis was detected by nested PCR, and 3 PCR-positive samples were sequenced to confirm species identification. However, the oocysts of C. cayetanensis in fecal samples could not be detected by direct microscopy of the stained sample. As far as we know, this is the first report of a group infection with C. cayetanensis from a traveler visiting Nepal, and the second report of a traveler’s diarrhea by C. cayetanensis imported in Korea.

PURPOSE: Hepatoprotective effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) has been verified in numerous animal experiments but not so apparent in clinical trials. Although the reason for this discrepancy in clinical results is still unknown, one possible explanation is the instability of PGE1. In this study, the hepatoprotective effect of lipo-PGE1, which is known to be stable during pulmonary circulation and have more targeting effect, was investigated in canine partial liver allotansplantation. In order to reckon in the possible injury during harvest of partial liver, lipo-PGE1 was infused from the start of living graft harvest procedure. METHODS: Mongrel dogs weighing about 25 kg were divided into control (n=6) and lipo-PGE1 (n=6) group. Partial liver allotransplantation was performed. In lipo-PGE1 group, lipo-PGE1 was slowly infused through splenic venous cannulation during the donor liver harvesting procedure (50 mg) and continuously infused (60 mg/day) for 48 hrs after reperfusion. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were monitored. RESULTS: The AST and ALP levels of the lipo-PGE1 group were significantly lower than that of the control group at both 1 hour and 48 hours after reperfusion. The LDH level in lipo-PGE1 group was lower at 1 hour and 48 hours after reperfusion, but no significant differences were shown between two groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect of the lipo-PGE1 against ischemia-reperfusion injury in canine partial liver allotransplantation.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Allografts* ; Alprostadil* ; Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Catheterization ; Dogs ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Pulmonary Circulation ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

There are numerous reasons for the failure of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Among them, surgical technical failure and wrong femoral tunnel location are the most common. The authors focused on the results of ACL revision using two anteromedial portals. Sixteen patients were selected with two anteromedial portals that were designed to decrease the femoral tunnel slope in sagittal plane. Clinical analysis was carried out based on Lysholm score, Tegner score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC). For anterior stability test, Lachman test, KT-2000 arthrometer were used. pivot shift test was measured for rotatory stability test. Preoperative Lachman test and pivot shift test showed positive finding in all cases, however, postoperative Lachman with 10 cases (62.5%) and pivot shift test with 10 cases (62.5%) were negative. The difference of anterior displacement with the non-affected side using KT 2000 arthrometer showed 6.57 mm (range: 4.0-12.0 mm) preoperatively and 2.20 mm (range: 1.0-4.0 mm) postoperatively on average. Score of Tegner and Lysholm improved from 4.86 (range: 2.0-7.0), 46.14 (range: 33-52) preoperatively, to postoperative score of 8.14 (range: 7.0-9.0), 83.43 (range: 74-89) at the final follow up. IKDC result also showed improvement. ACL reconstruction method using two anteromedial tunnels that is desgined to decrease femoral tunnel slope at sagittal plane is an effective technigue for revision surgery after initial ACL reconstruction failure. This technigue allows superior femoral tunnel selection, firm fixation of grafts and also shows excellent clinical results with stability.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Transplants

The present study was to determine the influence of micro-macro biphasic calcium phosphate(MBCP) on proliferation and differentiation of human marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Primary stem cells were cultured from bone marrow and 3-4 passaged cells were used. This study tested the proliferative effects by cell counting. Collagen sythensis, alkaline phosphatase activity, expression of osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein by Western blot analysis were evaluated. The cellular proliferation of ASC was not influenced by MBCP. Collagen synthesis of ASC cultured on MBCP significantly increased at 5th and 7th days(p<0.05). The ALP activity in ASC cultured on MBCP significantly increased at 5th and 7th days(p<0.05). The expression of OC and BSP incresaed in ASC cultured on MBCP. These results suggest that MBCP may stimulates the osteoblastic activity of ASC.
Adult Stem Cells* ; Adult* ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow ; Calcium* ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen ; Humans ; Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteocalcin ; Stem Cells

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess the change of the articular cartilage thickness resulting from physiological aging in normal Korean people without any disease in knee joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Voluntary participants of 81 cases, physically normal and free from knee joint disease at present or in the past, were chosen for our research program. The subjects were divided into young, middle and old age group respectively for the male and female; and articular cartilage thickness using MRI were measured. RESULT: Each of the three groups reveals the tendency of decrease in the thickness of the knee joint cartilage in all of the age groups along with the increase of the age. The cartilage thickness according to age for both sex, except for the tibial medial condyle, decreased significantly. For the male subjects, the degree of decrease in cartilage thicknes indicates difference in each sections. However, in case of female, the change of articular cartilage thickness in overall sections showed more significantly decreased in young to middle age group than in middle to old age group. CONCLUSION: The results revealed the normal articular cartilage thickness of knee and time that the thickness of articular cartilage was decreased with age. And we could evaluate the severity of degenerative change of articular cartilage by comparison to normal articular cartilage thickness.
Aging ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular* ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged