Acute unstable tibial shaft fractures are common in these days of high energy trauma. There are many options for this common and complicated fracture. Flexible intramedullary nailing using closed technique is prevalent in that this has much technical, functional, and physiological advantages. We reviewed 51 cases of acute tibial shaft fractures treated with flexible intramedullary nailing. There were 3 nonunions (6%), and two refractures. Among 46 united cases, 8 cases (17 %) showed no bridging callus formation within 20 weeks. Followings are the results of average time reaching each of radiological bony progression stage for 46 united cases. l. Average time to earliest discernible callus formation (stage I) was 13.3 weeks (range:8-21 weeks). 2. Average time to definite and bridging callus formation (stage II) was 18.1 weeks (range:8-32 weeks). 3. Average time to some oblitetation of fracture line (stage III) was 32.8 weeks (range:17-50 weeks). 4. Average time to complete obliteration of fracture line (stage IV) was 14.0 months(range:12-18 months).
Bony Callus ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Tibia

The MR images of 13 patients with brain abscesses were retrospectively reviewed. The abscesses were solitary in 11 patients and multiple in 2 patients. They were located in the corticomedullary junction of the cerebral hemispheres(11) and cerebellum (2).: The sizes of the abscesses were variable, ranging from 1 cm to 5 cm in diameter. They were round (5), oblong (4) or multilobulated (4) in shape. Massive surrounding edema was found in 12 patients. The signal intensity of the abscess contents was hypointense to gray matter and hyperintense to CSF on T1-weighted images, and hyperintense to gray matter on both proton-density-and T2-weighted images. In 5 patients the abscess contents were heterogeneous on both T1-and T2-weighted images. The signal intensity of the abscess walls was isointense(11), slightly hyperintense (1) or hypointense (1) relative to gray matter on T1-weighted images, whereas they were isointense (4) or hypointense (9) on T2-weighted images. Of 10 patients with Gd-enhanced-T1-weighted images, 5 patients(50%) showed thin, smooth, rim enhancement, while the other 5 patients revealed somewhat irregular thick wall enhancement Satellite or daughter abscesses were found in 6 patients. Meningeal or ventricular wall enhancement suggesting meningitis or ventriculitis was associated in 3 and 1 patient, respectively. In conclusion, the characteristic morphology and intensity of the abscess capsule, massive surrounding edema, satellite abscess and associated meningitis or ventriculitis are characteristics of the brain abscess, even though they are not entirely specific to allow for accurate diagnosis in all patients.
Abscess ; Brain Abscess* ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Diagnosis ; Edema ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Meningitis ; Nuclear Family ; Retrospective Studies

Femoral fractures are difficult to treat in the child with head or multiple injuries. Traction may fail due to spasticity and restlessness. Poor results after closed reduction have led some authors to advocate open reduction and internal fixation which facilitates overall care. Anatomical reduction with internal fixation leads to limb overgrowth. We report our experience in anatomical open reduction of femoral fracture which had head or multiple injuries or difficult to maintain traction in children at the Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital. The results are as follows : 1. Among the 28 cases, there were 20 cases in male and 8 cases in female. Average age was 9.4 years. 2. Plate fixation was used in 27 cases and Kuntscher Kuentscher nail was used in one case. 3. Average union period was 11.5 weeks. There was one delayed union which was completely united in 20 weeks. 4. Average overgrowth of femur was 5.2mm. The overgrowth was related with age and handedness but it was not related with fracture site. For children who have head or multiple injuries or difficult to maintain the skin traction, open reduction with plate fixation appears the most satisfactory treatment. The overgrowth of the femur after open reduction was not significant problems clinically.
Child ; Extremities ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; Femur ; Functional Laterality ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Multiple Trauma ; Muscle Spasticity ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Skin ; Traction

Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children is varying according to age. Satisfactory results have been obtained with longitudinal skin traction, split Russell traction, ordinary Russell traction, 90-90 skeletal traction, and immediate application of a spica cast(2,4,6,11,15). Most authors use one or more techinques routinely. It is safe and convenient to use single treatment protocol to treat all fractures of same type, Distal femoral skeletal traction with the knee and hip flexed 90 degrees and with the thigh hanging free, using the trunk as counter traction, has been used routinely for femoral shaft fractures in children(age 4-12). We reviewed 30 cases of femoral shaft fractures in children treated with 90-90 skeletal traction. 1. The average age of the patients was 6.8 years(range, 4-12 years), and almost all were caused by pedestrian injury. 2. The average time of traction was 48 days(range, 28-75), and 12 cases(40%) were treated without spica cast application. 3. Four among 30 cases developed angular deformity exceeding acceptable range(15° in AP view, 20° in lateral view), and three of them were proximal third fractures. 4. The older the patient, the longer the duration of limited activity and the more tendency of angular deformity. 5. 90-90 skeletal traction is easy, safe and convenient to treat all femoral shaft fractures of the children between four and ten years old.
Child ; Clinical Protocols ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Hip ; Humans ; Knee ; Skin ; Thigh ; Traction

The Palmaris longus tendon is important not because of its function but because of its usefulness as a donor tendon. Variations in the palmaris longus muscle ar elfrequent and the most common variation of the muscle is its absence. The incidence of absence of this muscle varies in different racial groups. Reinmann and his coworkers found the palmaris longus muscle absent in 12.9% of in their 1,600 limbs surgery. We have experiened 307 cases of palmaris longus graft surgery and found that there were 4 cases of absence of the palmaris longus tendon. We examined 2,000 limbs of Korean to see the presence of the palmaris longus muscle. Among 1,000 persons, the muscle was absent bilaterally in 11 persons(1.1%). It was absent unilaterally in 32 persons(3.2%). The probability that the muscle is absent in any single limb is 2.7%. There was no significant differences in the incidence of absence by sex or right and left side.
Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

Rickets is a syndrome, characterized pathophysiologically by a failure of normal mineralization of bone and epiphyseal cartilage and clinically by skeletal deformity in growing children. The five principal causes of rickets are vitamin D deficiency, absorptive defects, renal tubular insufficiency, chronic renal insufficiency and hypophosphatasia. In addition to these causes of rickets a defective reabsorption mechanism of the proximal renal tubule is currently believed to be a factor in the development of hypophosphatemic vitamine D resistant rickets. Simple type of hypophosphatemic vitamine D resistant rickets is the most common of all the cases of rickets due to tubular insufficiency. It has a familiar incidence and is a sex-linked dominant disease. There is hypophos-phatemia and an elevated alkaline phosphatase but usually no glomerular disease or uremia. All the clinical manifestations are those of advanced rickets of the ordinary type and usually begin early. We experienced four cases of hypophosphatemic vitamine D resistant rickets which developed in a family.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Hypophosphatasia ; Incidence ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; Miners ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Rickets ; Uremia ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamins

The development of the microvascular surgery revolutionalized the reconstructive surgery of the lower ext tremity. Especially, the defects of the heel and sole, the weight bearing area, were quite difficult and complicate to reconstruct by conventional methods. Many papers reported successful resurfacing the heel pad by free cutaneous or myocutaneous flaps. However, only few reports were conceming the late results of the reconstructed free flaps. The authors studied the histological and histochemical changes of the free flaps under the weight bearing stress in 10 cases. 1. The authors reconstructed 10 cases of the heel pad defects by dorsalis pedis free Aaps (5 cases) and latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps(5 cases). 2. Before transfer, the homy layer was very thin(about 0.16–0.2 mm) and had an arrangement of basket-weave pattem in both flaps. Until one year after transfer, this layer was wom out (0.02–0.08mm) However, after one year, this layer became thick (0.05–0.7 mm) and the arrangement was compact in both free flaps. 3. The granular and prickle cell layers were also increased in thickness after one year. 4. In the suprabasilar area, friction blisters were observed before one year, especially in latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap. However, they slowly disappeared after one year and then the epidermis was stabilized. 5. In the dermis, the contents of the amyloid and acid mucopolysaccharides were increased up to the level of those of the normal heel pad in both flaps. 6. As a conclusion, the transferred free flaps were in distress before one year. But after one year, they began to adapt well histologically and histochemically to the weight bearing stress.
Amyloid ; Blister ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Friction ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Heel ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Weight-Bearing

Many kinds of operations have been devised to treat Kienböck's disease with variable results. But no one have mentioned about the advantage of early motion in distraction to prevent the fibro-osseous ankylosis and carpal collapse. Two cases with Kienböck's disease were treated by the complete excision of the lunate and replacement of it with pronator quadratus muscle pedicled rectangular bone graft. Once these procedures were accomplished, the distraction-motion devices were used to maintain the joint surfaces separated at predetermined distances while kinematically normal joint motion was gradually restored. Although the experience is limited to two cases, the final results seem to be very promising.
Ankylosis ; Arthroplasty ; Joints ; Transplants

True cysts of the pancreas are rare, and enterogeous (duplication) cysts are extremely rare. We describe a case of enterogenous cyst of the pancreas located in the retroperitoneum, in which homogenous low attenua-tion, multiloculation, internal septation and cyst wall calcification were noted.
Pancreas*

We have experienced 11 cases of large bony defect that were treated using microsurgery since 1981. Free vascularized bone transplantation was performed in 8 of them, vascularized bone transposition in 2 cases, and free vascularized joint transplantation in the remaining 1 case. The causes of the large bony defect were primary bone tumor (4 cases), congenital pseudoarthrosis (3 cases), open comminuted fracture (2 cases), sequela of osteomyelitis (1 case), and post-traumatic ankylosis of PIP joint of second finger (1 case). As a donor, fibula was used in 8 cases, iliac crest in 1 case, rib in 1 case and in the remaining 1 case, the second M-P joint of foot was transplanted. In 9 of 11 cases, successful result was obtained and 2 cases were failed because of vascular damage following tibial lengthening in one case and infection on the grafted area in the other one. From the above data and review of articles, following conclusions were obtained. 1. Fibula is thought to be the most appropriate donor for the large bony defect in the extremity, especially in lower extremity, but the donor site must be determined according to the anatomical and physilogical condition of the patient. 2. After mechanical lengthening of the extremity, it is recommened to perform the microvascular surgery after sufficient time for the recovery of vascular damage. But further studies are required for the identification of the change in the vascular tissue following stretching and its recovery time. 3. Progression of the ossification in the epiphysis of transplanted iliac crest was observed and this finding proposed us the idea that the epiphyseal plate injury or leg length discrepancy will be able to be treated with free vascularized epiphyseal plate transplantation and the reconstruction of the destroyed joint of growing children will be possible using free vascularized joint transplantation. 4. As the technique become more popular, the free vascularized bone transplantation is being used for the reconstruction of the extremity more frequently, but it seems to be wise to restrict its indication to cases which are impossible to be treated with more simple methods such as vascularized bone transposition or pedicled bone graft.
Ankylosis ; Bone Transplantation ; Child ; Epiphyses ; Extremities ; Fibula ; Fingers ; Foot ; Fractures, Comminuted ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Joints ; Leg ; Lower Extremity ; Microsurgery ; Osteomyelitis ; Pseudarthrosis ; Ribs ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants