Transitional vertebrae include lumbarization and sacralization of lumbosacral region. The prevalence of transitional vertebra was reported as 3 to 21%. It is known that transitional vertebra is related to herniated nucleus pulposus and spinal stenosis but there is no report in English literature about the relationship of transitional vertebra to spondylolysis or spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship of transitional vertebra to spondylolysis or spondylolytic spondylolisthesis and to find out the clinical relevance for the treatment. The cases included 182 cases of spondylolysis or spondylolytic spondylolisthesis who were treated at Severance hospital from 1987 to 1993. There were 33 cases of transitional vetebra; 12 lumbarization and 21 sacralization. And there were remaining 149 cases of control group. The degree of anterior sippage was measured by Meyerding's grading and percentage of Taillard method. As the results, the degree of average anterior slippage of L4 was 14.5% in the cases of isthmic defect in L4 and sacralization. The average slippage of L4 was 11.4% in the control group. The degree of average anterior slippage of L5 was 12.5% in the cases of isthmic defect in L5 and lumbarization, and 9.5% in the cases of isthmic defect in L5 and sacralization. The average slippage of L5 was 16.2% in the control group. In summary and conclusion, the cases with isthmic defect in L4 and sacralization showed more anterior slippage than the cases with isthmic defect in L4 without transitional vertebrae, and the cases with isthmic defect in L5 and sacralization showed less anterior slippage than the cases with isthmic defect in L5 without transitional vertebrae. It is concluded that more aggressive treatment is recommended in the cases of isthmic defect in L4 and sacralization, whereas more conservative treatment is recommended in the cases of isthmic defect in L5 and sacralization.
Lumbosacral Region ; Methods ; Prevalence ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylolisthesis ; Spondylolysis

Since the book "Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying" was published in 1991, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of cases of suicidal asphyxiation using helium gas. However, no domestic reports have been published thus far. Recently, we encountered a case of asphyxial suicide by inhalation of helium from inside a plastic bag. Subsequently, we reviewed the records of the Scientific Crime Analysis System of National Police Agency of Korea. There were 17 cases of helium-associated asphyxial suicides between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012. The average age of the deceased was 30.6 years with a male to female ratio of approximately 5:1. Thirteen of 17 such deaths occurred in the victims'houses. In all cases, the method of death involved placing a plastic bag over the head with a hose attached to helium tanks. In 6 of 17 cases, the decedents had psychiatric disorders such as depression. As neither characteristic signs of death nor conventional methods for detecting helium gas exist, a thorough investigation of the death scene and the decedents'environment is extremely vital for confirming death due to helium asphyxiation.
Crime ; Depression ; Female ; Head ; Helium ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Male ; Plastics ; Police ; Suicide ; Suicide, Assisted

OBJECTIVES: The most often perfomed major operation in gynecology is hysterectomy.Our purpose was to compare the indications, charateristics and outcomes of patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy and total vaginal hysterectomy and to help to establish guidelines to determine the route of hysterectomy. METHOD: The hospital charts of 400 women who underwent elective inpatient hysterectomy at Kyung-Hee University hospital from January 1994 to January 1999, were abstracted retrospectively. Data were collected regarding patients, age, parity, preoperative indications, the route of hysterectomy, uterine weight, operative and postoperative complications and the length of stay. The operative indications were benign uterine disease except from uterine prolapse. Bisection or combined morcellation were used in most cases to obtain reduction in uterine size. RESULT: Patients in whom the vaginal route was successful included 18% of those with uterine weights exceeding 280gm. There was statistically significant difference for uterine weight, operative time, bleeding amount, the length of stay in two camparative group. 4% of vaginal hysterectomy and 7% of total abdominal hysterectomy has documented operative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal hysterectomy is safe operation with few intraoperative and postoperative complications without notable blood loss. Vaginal hysterectomy allow one to shorten the operating time and allows early postoperative discharge of some patients from hospital. Skilled performance of vaginal hysterectomy is worth greater attention and should be used more often in gynecological study.
Female ; Gynecology ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Inpatients ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Parity ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Statistics as Topic* ; Uterine Diseases ; Uterine Prolapse ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Acupuncture* ; Tattooing*

This study was performed to investigate the factors related to tooth wear. For this study, 78 patients with temporomandibular disorders and 76 dental students without any signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders were selected as the patients group and as the normal group, respectively. Preferred chewing side, Angle's classification, lateral guidance pattern, head and shoulder posture wee observed clinically. Electromyographic activity of anterior temporalis and masseter muscle were recorded with BioEMG and occlusal status were recorded with T-Scan . Wear facet area of each tooth was measured from working model of upper arch corresponding to the occlusal status from T-Scan, Wear facet area were measured with planimeter in mm2. Total area were divided into incisal, canine, posterior tooth area. Anterior wearfacet area was incisor area plus canine area, and unilateral area was anterior area plus posterior area. The data collected were analyzed by SAS statistical program and the results of this study were as follows: 1. There was no significant difference between the two groups in total werafacet area, and male subjects showed tendency to have larger area in the normal group but female subjects showed tendency vice versa. 2. There was no significant difference related to preferred chewing side and Angle's classification, however, some difference was observed by lateral guidance pattern. Anterior wear facet area in subjects of canine guidance was the largest in the three subgroups. 3. Subjects with head tilting to right side had larger posterior and total area, and subjects with higher shoulder in right side had larger canine and anterior area than any other subgrous. 4. Electromyographic activity of masseter muscle was more correlated with wear facet area than anterior temporalis muscle, and tooth contact number and force were significantly correlated with wear facet area, but the most important factor affecting tooth attrition was age.
Dental Occlusion ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Incisor ; Male ; Malocclusion ; Masseter Muscle ; Mastication ; Posture ; Shoulder ; Students, Dental ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders ; Tooth Attrition ; Tooth Wear* ; Tooth*

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

No abstract available.
Biopsy* ; Prostate*

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was made of patients undergoing posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine. OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical outcomes of the patients who underwent posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with commercially available allogeneic bone graft with those patients in a similar consecutive control group who underwent posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine with autogenic bone graft and to determine whether the commercially available allogeneic bone is useful for postero-lateral fusion of the lumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Major differences exist in the ability of an allogeneic bone graft to regenerate a viable cellular network as compared to an autogenic bone graft. This is related to the immunologic response of the host to the foreign bone. The fusion rate of deep freezing allogeneic bone graft was reported as 80-100%. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with spondylolisthesis treated with decompression, fixation with pedicle screws and posterolateral fusion were retrospectively reviewed. Nineteen patients (group 1) were treated with commercially available allogeneic bone (Tutoplast) graft mixed with autogenic bone and the remaining 60 patients (group 2) were treated with autogenic bone graft. Operating time, amount of transfusion, duration of hospital stay, symptom improvement, fusion rate, duration of fusion, and complications were studied. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of duration of hospital stay, amount of transfusion, symptom improvement, and complications . However, there were significant differences between the allogeneic and autogenic groups in terms of operating time (212.3 versus 230.9 minutes), fusion rate (36.8% versus 98.3%), and duration of fusion (10.2 versus 6.4 months), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Commercially available allogeneic bone is less useful for posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine.
Decompression ; Freezing ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine* ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

We present a case of carcinoma erysipelatoides which or iginated from an internal organ. The patient was a 50 year-old female who had peritoneal carcinomatosis, She presented an erythematous lesion resembling erysipelas on her right breast. Histopathologic findings were consistent with metastatic adenocarcinoma but clinically it was not associated with carcinoma of the breast.
Adenocarcinoma ; Breast ; Carcinoma ; Erysipelas ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy* ; Contracture* ; Hip* ; Muscle Spasticity*