The purposes of this study were to detect the indices of evaluating for degree of compression and to detect the indices of recovery after decompression in different time intervals in the animal model of 50 percent compression of the cauda equina, through the examination of neurologic status and electrodiagnosis. Twenty-one male dogs, weighing between nine and eleven kilogram, were used. Three experimental groups were studied. One group (5 dogs) served as controls. In the other groups, the cauda equina was constricted by 50 percent to produce chronic compression, and decompression was done after 2 weeks compression in one group and 4 weeks compression in another group. The dogs in which the cauda equina had been decompressed at 2 weeks, showed the recovery of sensory evoked potentials at 2 weeks after decompression and bulbocavernosus reflexes at 4 weeks. The dogs in which the cauda equina had been decompressed at 4 weeks, showed the recovery of sensory evoked potentials and bulbocavernosus reflexes at 4 weeks after decompression. In both groups of the cauda equina compression, motor evoked potentials were partially recovered by 6 weeks after decompression. The initial neurological deficits in both groups were improved by 6 weeks. The cauda equina revealed that the epidural scar tissue in compressed site was more severe in 4 weeks compression group. But the substance of the cauda equina did not have any pathological changes in gross examination. Microscopically, neural tissue was showed the normal appearance without pathological changes in all groups. In conclusions, the early decompression of cauda equina revealed that the onset of recovery was more faster and the amplitude of recovery was larger comparing with delayed decompression in electrodiagnostic test. Also, the surgical decompression itself was helpful to improve the electrodiagnostic changes around 4 weeks after decompression. Sensory evoked potential was improved at the first and motor evoked potentials was recovered after disappearance of the claudication.
Animals ; Cauda Equina* ; Cicatrix ; Decompression* ; Decompression, Surgical ; Dogs* ; Electrodiagnosis ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Humans ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Polyradiculopathy ; Reflex

Spondyliolisthesis is the major structural changes in the spine and is more directly related to the low back pain syndrome. The many operative techniques have been used but each of them had several disadvantage as well as advantage. Since the anterior lumbar fusion in spondylolisthesis was introduced by Carpener in 1932, many authors have reported the favorable results regard to anterior arthrodesis in spine. Ideally the system of spine fixation is mechanically efficient and anatomical restoration of deformed structure. The anterior interbody fusion is more satisfactory to this deal fixation of spine than any other surgical method. We reviewed the cases of fifty seven patients who underwent anterior interbody fusion with autoiliac bone grafts for spondylolisthesis and were followed for one to twelve years. 1. The most common type was isthmic type in 61% and the degenerative type was observed in 25%. 2. The fifty lumbar vertebra slipping was observed most commonly and in two patinets, L4 and L5 vertebra slipped simultaenously. 3. In radiological results, we obtained complete fusion of grafts to vertebra in 73%, incomplete fusion in 15% and absorption of graft noticed in seven patients(12%). 4. We obtained the favorable results in 84% patients clinically. 5. The clinical results was not correlated with roentgenografic evidence of union. 6. Anterior discectomy and arthrodesis with autoiliac bone graft was a safe procedure in grade I and II spondylolisthesis but in grade III, the procedure was not recommended. 7. The simple Knight-Kim back brace was satisfactory to immobilization after anterior interbody fusion without graft union failure.
Absorption ; Arthrodesis ; Braces ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Dermatomycoses* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Reference Values*

Osteoporosis is defined as a pathologic condition that there occurs no change in the chemical composition of the bone, while bone resorption is abnormally increased, compared with osteogenesis, leading to a decrease in bone amount. Though many varieties of therapy have been tried, no definitely effective method has been found. Ginseng saponin is an importanat component of Korean ginseng and many studies have been performed for investigating its effectiveness. But there has been no report on saponin effects to osteoporosis. The purpose of this studies is to find out the effect of saponin in osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy in rats. For the study, 30 rats underwent sham operation(group I) and 90 rats were ovariectomized. In group ll (30 rats), only ovariectomy was performed. In group III (30 rats), 50mg/kg/day ginseng saponin was administered per oral route and group IV (30 rats) was administrated 150mg/kg/day saponin. All the rats were sacrificed at the 16th week. The sections of the femoral shaft were stained using Villanueva bone stain and the sections of the tibia were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The femoral shaft and metaphyseal region were applied to compression device for measurements of bone consistency. The effect of saponin increased weight of the femur. The cross sectional area and cortical area of the femoral shaft were significantly higher in 50mg saponin group(group III) than osteoporosis group. But there was no significant difference in the size and number of osteoclast and the percentage of trabecular bone between saponin group(group III ,IV)and osteoporosis group. In the biomechanical test, the consistency of cortical bone was significantly increased in 50mg saponin group than osteoporosis group. In conclusion, saponin had an effect on experimental osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy in rats. As though its precise mechanism was unknown, we considered that its action mechanism was due to osteoblastic activity resulting in a correction of bone mass deficit in osteoporotic rats.
Animals ; Bone Resorption ; Female ; Femur ; Methods ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Ovariectomy ; Panax ; Rats ; Saponins ; Tibia

Total 7,446 pedicle measurements were made from T1 to L6. Direct dimensional measurements were obtained from dried adult human spinal columns. Parsmeters considered were the pedicle isthmus diameter in the coronal and sagittal planes, pedicle angles in the transverse and sagittal planes, and the depth to the anterior cortex in a line parallel to the midline of the vertetral body and along the pedicle axis. The results were as follows. 1. The widest pedicle transverse diameters were seen at L6, the narrowest at T4. 2. The widest pedicle superoinferior diameters were seen at T12, the narrowes at T1. 3. In the transverse plane, the posterolateral to anteromedial pedicle axis orientations were seen at all levels except at T12 and T12. 4. In the sagittal plane, the pedicles angled caudally at L5 and cephaladly from L3 to T1. 5. In the thoracolumbar junction, the percentage less than 6mm in the transverse diameters of pedicles is most high at L1(27%) and followed by at the level L2, T11 and T12. 6. The use of 6mm transpedicular screws can be expected to violate the cortex of the pedicles in a significant number in the upper lumbar spine. 7. The 5mm transpedicular screws can be used safely below the T11 level. 8. It is advisable to use roentgen image intensifier during insertion of the transpedicular screws.
Adult ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Spine

No abstract available.
Chungcheongnam-do* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Sex Ratio*

No abstract available.
Female ; Labor, Induced* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Ecthyma* ; Humans ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Esophageal Atresia* ; Fistula* ; Humans