STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study analyzing 73 patients treated by decompression, pedicular screw instrumentation and posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for lumbosacral spondylolithesis and symptomatic spinal stenosis. we used laminected laminar and spinous process instead of iliac bone. OBJECTIVES: This is to evaluate fusion rate and clinical results of PLIF with laminected laminar and spinous process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PLIF in 73 patients with lumbosacral disorders who carried out at Pohang St. Mary's Hospital from March 1994 to January 1996. Fusion rate was evaluated by simple X-ray and dynamic view. Clinical effect was evaluated by Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. RESULTS: The solid fusion was achieved at 67 cases(91.8%) and the average period of fusion was 6.4 months. Complications were 2 cases of superficial skin infection and 3 cases of root irritation. The functional results by Kirkaldy-Willis were as follows ; excellent 40 cases, good 23 cases, fair 9 cases and poor 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: This PLIF procedure combined with transpedicular instrumentation showed sufficient fusion rate and excellent clinical results and improvement in vertebral alignment.
Decompression ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Spinal Stenosis

PURPOSE: We experienced six cases of late infection of the hydroxyapatite (HA) orbital implant treated with surgical procedures. METHODS: Exposures of the HA and pyogenic granulomas around conjunctival dehiscence helped us to confirm infections of the HA orbital implants. Infections were not controlled by medical therapies so the HA implants were exchanged by silicone implants in all cases. Finally, the silicone implants were replaced by Medpor(R) after the inflammation had been controlled. Dermis fat graft was also performed in two cases due to insufficient conjunctival sac. RESULTS: Infections of HA orbital implants occurred at 62 to 106 months postoperatively. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were cultured from removed implants. All cases show successful outcomes during 12 to 42 months after Medpor(R) implantations. CONCLUSIONS: Infections of peg-inserted HA orbital implants occurred after five years due to exposure of HA orbital implants. To replace infected HA implants with Medpor(R) implants is considered a functionally and aesthetically effective therapeutic method.
Dermis ; Durapatite* ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Inflammation ; Orbit* ; Orbital Implants* ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Silicones ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Transplants

Narcotic analgesics may be added to spinal anesthetics solution to improve the quality of sensorimotor blockade and to produce postoperative pain relief. The opioid-related side effects of respiratory depression, pruritus, nausea, and urinary retension also occur with intrathecal administration and the effects are dose-related. It is difficult to select morphine with spinal anesthetic solution due to fatal side-effect, respiratory depression. Intrathecal morphine dose used for our study was less than 1mg, thereby the risk of respiratory depression was decreased. There was no report that the addition of morphine affected the motor block produced by the local anesthetics in spinal anesthesia. But in our study, we found that 0.9 mg of intrathecal morphine produced prolongation of optimal condition for operation(more than 3 hours duration), and sufficient postoperative pain relief(for about 20 hours) without respiratory depression in 28 out of 30 spinal anesthesia cases. On the other hand, 0.5 mg or 0.7 mg of intrathecal morphine produced sufficient postoperative pain relief without respiratory depression(for about 20 hours), but insufficient prolongation of optimal condition for operation in each 30 cases of spinal anesthesia.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Hand ; Morphine* ; Narcotics ; Nausea ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Tetracaine*

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of patients with a posterolateral spinal fusion for an unstable thoracolumbar junction. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of a posterolateral spinal fusion for an unstable thoracolumbar junction. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Posterolateral spinal fusions are well documented for their efficacy in the lumbar and lumbosacral spine, and have also been applied to the thoracolumbar junction in the lumbar area. The thoracolumbar junction, however, is a little different from the lumbar spine, in its anatomical and biomechanical aspects, and posterolateral fusions have not been well evaluated in these respects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen consecutive patients, who had posterolateral spinal fusions, with instrumentation for an unstable condition, including T12-L1 segment, and followed for more than one year, were included. In 11 patients, all the fractures had been decompressed posteriorly, for degenerative conditions in 2, and for a neoplastic pathology in the other one. The radiographs concerning the lateral fusion mass were reviewed according to Lenke's classification, the change in the segmental sagittal angle of the fused segment and the fixation failure of the instrumentation. The medical records relating to the neurological recovery were reviewed using the modified Frankel grading, and the overall clinical results of treatment by the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria. RESULTS: All patients disclosed big, bilateral and solid fusion masses, with the exception of one patient who revealed a big, solid fusion mass on one side, and small, thin fusion mass on the other. No patient revealed more than 3 degrees of mobility on flexion-extension lateral radiographs, any evidence of fixation failure of the instrumentation. The neurological recovery, by the modified Frankel grading system, showed an average 1.3 improvement. The clinical results were excellent in 6, good in 6 and fair in 2 patients, with no poor results. CONCLUSIONS: A posterolateral spinal fusion can be effectively applied in an unstable thoracolumbar junction, such as in the lumbar and lumbosacral spine, provided there is precise preparation of the graft beds, enough bone grafts and correction of the excessive kyphotic angle by the compression fixation of the posterior instrumentation.
Classification ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Crowding causes dysfunction in the emergency department (ED) and is associated with poor quality of patient care, dissatisfaction of the physicians, and increased financial burden of medical care. Frequent use is often considered a major contributor to ED crowding. The present study sought to verify the relationship between the frequent ED users and ED crowding, and to ascertain the severity of the frequent ED users. METHODS: One-year ED visit data from a tertiary teaching hospital located in an urban area were analyzed. Frequent ED users were defined as four or more ED visits per year. Crowding indicators were defined as the length of stay and the percentage of patients staying over 6 hours. Severity indicators were defined as operation within 24 h, admission to intensive care unit, and expiry in the ED. RESULTS: The 2.7% of patients who had four or more ED visits were responsible for 11.9% of visits. The median length of stay of frequent users was significantly longer (6.18 h) than that of infrequent users (3.42 h). The percentage of patients who stayed more than 6 h was significantly larger in the frequent user group than infrequent user group (51.4% vs. 32.9%, respectively; OR=2.158; 95% CI, 2.041~2.281). However, the severity of frequent users was lower than that of infrequent users (3.0% vs. 5.3%, respectively; OR=0.553; 95% CI, 0.472~0.648). CONCLUSION: Frequent users presenting to an ED located in an urban area were more likely to stay longer in the ED, and were less likely to be severe. Active interventions to reduce ED crowding are required.
Crowding ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Health Services Misuse ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Patient Care

PURPOSE: Crowding causes dysfunction in the emergency department (ED) and is associated with poor quality of patient care, dissatisfaction of the physicians, and increased financial burden of medical care. Frequent use is often considered a major contributor to ED crowding. The present study sought to verify the relationship between the frequent ED users and ED crowding, and to ascertain the severity of the frequent ED users. METHODS: One-year ED visit data from a tertiary teaching hospital located in an urban area were analyzed. Frequent ED users were defined as four or more ED visits per year. Crowding indicators were defined as the length of stay and the percentage of patients staying over 6 hours. Severity indicators were defined as operation within 24 h, admission to intensive care unit, and expiry in the ED. RESULTS: The 2.7% of patients who had four or more ED visits were responsible for 11.9% of visits. The median length of stay of frequent users was significantly longer (6.18 h) than that of infrequent users (3.42 h). The percentage of patients who stayed more than 6 h was significantly larger in the frequent user group than infrequent user group (51.4% vs. 32.9%, respectively; OR=2.158; 95% CI, 2.041~2.281). However, the severity of frequent users was lower than that of infrequent users (3.0% vs. 5.3%, respectively; OR=0.553; 95% CI, 0.472~0.648). CONCLUSION: Frequent users presenting to an ED located in an urban area were more likely to stay longer in the ED, and were less likely to be severe. Active interventions to reduce ED crowding are required.
Crowding ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Health Services Misuse ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Patient Care

The authors describe two cases of simultaneous bilateral hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage which occurred among 440 patients treated for hypertensive intracerebral hematomas between 1991 and 1996. One patient was a 59-year-old male with bilateral putaminal hemorrhages, and the other was an 82-year-old female with bilateral thalamic hemorrhages; both underwent conservative treatment. The male was discharged with mild facial palsy but the female remained in a vegetative state for over three months. The locations of bilateral hematomas with a chronic history of hypertension suggest that in the pathogenesis of this condition, a subtle degenerative process, caused by hypertension may be active. The literature pertaininig to the pathogenesis of simultaneous multiple intracerebral hematomas is briefly reviewed.
Aged, 80 and over ; Facial Paralysis ; Female ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Persistent Vegetative State

BACKGROUND: Chronic post-ischemia pain (CPIP) model is reported to represent the complex regional pain syndrome type I. The administration of non-specific free radical scavengers reduced mechanical allodynia, but it is not evident which type of free radical is responsible for the development of CPIP. This study was investigated to elucidate the role of superoxide on the development of CPIP and the relationship with the expression of c-fos gene. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 290-310 g were housed in one cage with food and water ad libitum. CPIP model was made by placing a tourniquet on the left hindpaw of rats. The tourniquet maintained for 3 hours, then released to allow reperfusion. Thirty minutes before reperfusion, superoxide dismutase (SOD) or normal saline (control group) was injected. Mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia were measured at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 28 days after reperfusion and compared. Also, spinal cord was harvested and the expression of c-fos gene was measured through the real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Superoxide dismutase reduced mechanical allodynia (1, 3, 5 and 14 day) and cold allodynia (1, 3 and 7 day) compared with control rats in left hindpaw. Expression of c-fos was significantly reduced in the SOD rats at the day 14 and 28 compare to the control rats. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of superoxide dismutase suppressed the allodynia and c-fos gene expression of CPIP model rats and it may be suggested that the superoxide has an important role in the development of CPIP.
Animals ; Cold Temperature ; Free Radical Scavengers ; Genes, fos ; Humans ; Hyperalgesia ; Inositol Phosphates ; Male ; Prostaglandins E ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury ; Reverse Transcription ; Spinal Cord ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Superoxides ; Tourniquets ; Water