The purpose of this study was to clarify the differences in reaction time, stepping frequency and stepping endurance estimated by chronological age compared to skeletal age. The participants were 76 well-trained soccer players aged from 9.7 to 14.8 years old. Height and weight were measured before training. Their skeletal ages were evaluated by RUS score of TW II method. RUS score was calculated for skeletal age by Murata's method. Reaction time, stepping frequency and endurance were measured by Talent-Diagnose-System (Werthner Sports Consulting, KEG, Co, Ltd.) . For chronological age, height increased linearly from 9 to 14. Height estimated by skeletal age increased slowly from 8 to 10, then increased drastically between the ages of 10 to 15. Significant change was shown between the ages of 12 and 13 (p<0.01) . Complex reaction time (CRT) estimated from chronological age developed linearly from 9 to 14 years of age. However for skeletal age, CRT at 10 was slower than at 8 and 9 years of age. Then it developed significantly between the ages of 10 and 11 (p<0.05) . On the other hand, stepping frequency and endurance did not show as remarkable a change with increasing age as reaction time. The results of this present study indicate that in adolescent soccer players, there are some differences between skeletal age and chronological age in cross-sectional change of reaction time. Moreover, skeletal age did not affect the development of stepping frequency and endurance.

STUDY DESIGN: A case-series study. PURPOSE: To assess the long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes after vertebroplasty using calcium phosphate cement (CPC) for treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Vertebroplasty has become common for the treatment of OVF. However, few studies have reported the clinical application of CPC to vertebroplasty. METHODS: We reviewed 86 consecutive patients undergoing 99 vertebroplasties using CPC. Following repositioning and curettage of the pathological soft tissue of the vertebral body (VB), vertebroplasty using CPC was performed in patients with osteoporotic burst fracture and pseudoarthrosis (procedure A). Vertebroplasty was also performed in patients with osteoporotic compression fractures (procedure B). Back pain and lower back pain were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The VB deformity index was measured in a lateral radiograph as the ratio of the VB's height to its longitudinal diameter. RESULTS: The mean age at time of surgery was 77 years old. The mean duration of follow-up was forty-four months. All patients reported decreased pain according to the VAS immediately after vertebroplasty, and pain relief was maintained at the last follow-up in all patients without new OVFs. Complete bone union was observed in all cases by six months after surgery. The mean recovery rate of deformity index was 5.9% in procedure A and 0.02% in procedure B at the final follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty using CPC gave a satisfactory outcome and no delayed complications in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures at follow-up times of at least two years.
Aged ; Back Pain ; Calcium ; Calcium Phosphates ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Curettage ; Dinucleoside Phosphates ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Osteoporosis ; Pseudarthrosis ; Vertebroplasty

Lung cancer has a high mortality rate and is often diagnosed at the metastatic stage. Recently, gefitinib, a molecule target therapeutic drug, has offered a new approach for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This report describes the effects of gefitinib on bone metastases in two patients with NSCLC. The pain induced by a bone metastasis was relieved after the administration of gefitinib. Furthermore, the radiographs and CT findings showed sclerotic changes that matched those of the metastatic bone tumor after gefitinib administration in both patients. It is believed that gefitinib inhibited tumor cell proliferation and induced normal bone formation. In patients with NSCLC, gefitinib may be effective in the treatment of bone metastases.
Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteogenesis ; Quinazolines