No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Mice*

No abstract available.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing* ; Mice*

No abstract available.

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia is a condition most often combined with cafe-au-lait spots and neurofibromatosis. It is notoriously difficult to attain a sound bony union. Compression plating and screw fixation with massive bone graft resulted in successful union in our case.
Cafe-au-Lait Spots ; Neurofibromatoses ; Pseudarthrosis ; Tibia ; Transplants

Although anterior fusion has several advantages in the management of fracture-dislocations of cervical spine than posterior methods, it has not been used in common. Because, it does not give sufficient stability to prevent the dislodgment of the graft and angular deformity and it requires prolonged rigid external immobilization. In order to promote the stability and to reduce the external support, authors have fixed with plate and screws in anterior spine fusion for various type of fracture-dislocations of cervical spine, and report the results of 29 consecutive cases. Minimum follow-up period was 6 months (Av. 12mos.). Two level fixation after anterior decompression by corpectomy was done in 7 cases. Ambulation was started from the day after operation with aid of orthosis, regardless of the neurological status. Bone union was observed in all, but one expired case, within 2–3 months. There was no failure in fixation and no worsening in neurology. Improvement of neurological status were observed in 17 patient during and follow up periods of treatment, among 23 patient with neurological symptoms on arrival. The observed complications of hoarseness(2 csses), dysphagia(2 cases) and Horner's syndrome(1 case) were improved later, but the patient with pneumonia was expired one month after operation. It is concluded that the procedure is a safe and better alternative for the fracture-dislocations including flexion injury between C2-T1, because it provides good stability, rapid union, short external support and possibility of neural decomprssion.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Neurology ; Orthotic Devices ; Pneumonia ; Spine ; Transplants ; Walking

Achilles tendon is the most powerful and the biggest tendon of the body and its rupture is frequently sports-related. Many authors reported the effects of mobilization, electricity, ultrasound and various drugs as factors influencing the injured tendon. We studied the effects of early passive mobilization after firm suture using plantaris tendon as tension suture material and reinforcing membrane on the repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon. From March 1992 to December 1995, twenty-two operations on the Achilles tendon were carried out in our hospital. 1. Fourteen patients were male and eight patients were female. The mean patient age was 38 years, ranging from 13 to 68 years. Average follow-up periods was 2 years and 7 months, ranging from 12 months to 3 years and 8 months. 2. The rupture site was 4.7cm proximal to the tendon insertion into the calcaneus on average. 3. We performed the operations with end to end suture technique. After approximation of the ruptured ends of the tendon with a No. 5 Ethibond tension suture using a modified Kessler stitch, placed plantaris tendon in a fascial needle and pass it circumferentially and distal plantaris tendon is fanned out and tacked over the repair. 4. Postoperative treatment was done as following protocol Short leg cast was done with equinus position for initial 3 weeks, and then cast was removed, hydrotherapy and passive exercises was employed. About 6 weeks after operation when the foot can be brought to right angle, a reverse 90degrees ankle stop short leg brace was applied for additional 6 weeks and partial weight bearing was aUowed. 5. Follow-up results were classified according to the Arner-Lindholm scale. We had 16 excellent results and 6 satisfactory results. After rigid suture it may be possible to introduce a regimen of progressive isometric stimulation and protected loading and streching combined with removable orthosis. Such early exercises are likely to improve the rate of rehabilitation over plaster immobilization.
Achilles Tendon* ; Ankle ; Braces ; Calcaneus ; Electricity ; Exercise ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Hydrotherapy ; Immobilization ; Leg ; Male ; Membranes ; Needles ; Orthotic Devices ; Rehabilitation ; Rupture* ; Suture Techniques ; Sutures ; Tendons ; Ultrasonography ; Weight-Bearing

The present study was carried out to clarify the anatomical changes of lumbar intervertebral discs by aging. Anterior height, posterior height, anteroposterior diameter of intervertebral discs were measured on 512 normal plain lateral radiographs of lumbosacral spine. And the indices of disc wedging and relative disc height were calculated. There was a cephalocaudal gradient of increase in the indices of disc wedging in all age groups. The indices of relative disc height were constant at all lumbar levels. These suggest that the lower disc is more wedge shaped and the height of discs changes in the constant ratio with that of vertebral body.
Aging* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Spine

Secondary cutaneous cryptococcosis may occur earlier than other manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis. A 68-year-old woman presented with multiple ulcerative lesions on the right calf of 2 weeks duration. She had been treated with antibiotics, but the lesions spread rapidly. The initial clinical impression was necrotizing fasciitis, but routine KOH mounting from the ulcerative lesions showed numerous budding yeast cells with peripheral clear zones and further investigations including a skin biopsy, tissue cultures and India ink preparations allowed a rapid and definitive diagnosis of cutaneous cryptococcosis. Studies for other evidence of infection elsewhere revealed an asymptomatic pulmonary lesion. We report a case of secondary cutaneous cryptococcosis clinically mimicking necrotizing fasciitis that occured before other manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Cryptococcosis* ; Diagnosis ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing* ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Ink ; Saccharomycetales ; Skin ; Ulcer

Between 1982 and 1991, 33 cases(47 patients) with Ficat stage I and II avascular necrosis of the femoral head which had decompression with fibular strut grafting were followed up for average 62 months ranging from 36 to 136 months, The authors analyzed the results by Harris Hip Score(H.H.S) clinically and according to Ficat stage progression radiologically and evaluated the effectivencess of this procedure in the early stage of atraumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The results were as follows. 29 hips were mon, 4 hips were women and 11 patients were bilateral. The ages ranged from 26 to 75 years and the mean age was 46.6 years. By the radiological classification of Japnese Investigation Committee, 23 hips(79%) of stage II showed diffuse involvement of the femoral heads(type 1-C, 2, 3-B). By Ficat stage, stage I were 4(12%) and stage II were 29(88%). At follow up, 2 hips were in stage I(6%), 15 hips were in stage II(46%), 11 hips were in stage III(33%) and 5 hips showed stage IV (15%). Two hips were converted to total hip arthroplasty due to failure. Preoperative Harris Hip Score was 84 points in average and at most recent follow up, the score was 89 points in average. The clinical surccess rate was 73% and radiological success rate was 52%, but 83% of the patients were satisfied with the procedure subjectively. There noted some disparity between the clinical and raiological results, but the effect of the decompression with fibular strut grafting will be known if more long term follow up is available.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Classification ; Decompression ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Transplants