No abstract available.
Ankle* ; Arthroplasty*

In case of the large bone defect due to severe varus or valgus deformity in total knee replacement, there are many different methods for reconstruction of the bone defect for insertion of the tibial component after resection of the proximal tibia. Total knee replacement using the autogenous bone graft were performed in 27 knees (18 patients) with tibial bone defect. Authors report the methods and results with an average 23 months follow-up. We used the bone removed from distal femur and calculated the size of the proximal tibia. We used the screws, if necessary, for rigid fixation of the grafted bone. l. According to the type of bone defect, central defect type were 3 knees, peripheral defect type were 13 knees and combined type were 11 knees. 2. In A-P view of x-ray, the size of bone defect of the tibial plateau ranged 5mm to 25mm (average 11.1mm) in height. 3. Screws were used for fixation of grafted bone in 14 knees and the average size of the screws was 27.8mm. 4. Bony union of the grafted bone achieved from 3 months to 12 months (average 5.7months). 5. Average knee ROM was 105 degrees and improved post-operatively 121 degrees, and average flexion contracture was 22.4 degrees and improved post-operatively 7.5 degrees. 6. Post-operative tibiofemoral angle was average 7.5 degrees valgus. 7. Average knee rating score was 54.5 and improved post-operatively 89.2. 8. The comlication of bone graft was partial resorption in 1 case and the loosening or displacement due to screw were abscent.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee ; Tibia ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee*

Fat can be prominet around the aortic root and within the right atrioventricular (AV) groove (1). At times, the fat can be globular, suggesting a mass especially on echocardiography. Computed tomography (CT) and masnetic resonance (MR) images are well suited for characterization of fat in and around the heart (1, 2). This report illustrates CT and MR findings of a very unusual case of prominent fat lump in the left AV groove.
Echocardiography ; Heart

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is a disease affecting a large population of women all over the world. A local sterile inflammation occurs in the peritonel cavity of patients with endometriosis. It suggests that immunological events play a major role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. We have studied the levels of serveral T cell and monocyte derived cytokines, especially IL-6 (promoter of immune response) and IL-10 (inhibitor of immune response), in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis to characterize the change of immune response that occurs at the site of endometriosis. Method: This study was performed in Hallym university hospital from October, 1997 to October 1998 and enrolled 29 women with gross or microscopic findings of minimal to severe endometriosis in case group, and 28 women without visual evidence of pelvic endometriosis and with benign gynecologic disease in control group. IL-6 and IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid were determined using commercial ELISA and compared between endometriosis and controls and between fertile and infertile women with endometriosis and according to the revised American Fertility Society classification. RESULT: IL-6 was higher and IL-10 was lower in the peritoneal fluid of endometriosis group than of control group. Cyclic variations in the IL-6 concentrations were seen in endometriosis group : the concentrations in the secretory phase were significantly higher than those in the proliferative phase. In endometriosis group, IL-6 concentrations of infertile women were higher than fertile women. Both IL-6 and IL-10 in the peritoneal fluid of endomtriosis group did not show significant correlation according to r-AFS stages. CONCLUSION: Increased IL-6 and decreased IL-10 levels in the peritoneal fluid may be related to infertility and pathogenesis in the endometriosis, suggesting that partially contribute to the disturbed immune regulation observed in endometriosis.
Ascitic Fluid* ; Classification ; Cytokines ; Endometriosis* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fertility ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-10* ; Interleukin-6* ; Monocytes

PURPOSE: To evaluate further the right minor and major fissure on thin-section narrow-interval CT scans with particular emphases on orientation, degree of completeness. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thin section CT scans from 10 mm distal to carina to the proximal basal segmental bronchus were obtained at 5 mm invervals in 50 consectutive subjects. Orientation, degree of completeness, and the relationship of the minor and major fissure on thin-section CTscans were analyzed. RESULTS: Four principal types of the minor fissure could be identified according to the highest point of the upper surface of the middle lobe. At bronchus intermedius level, the major fissure appeared with its medial end anterior to lateral end in 45 subjects. The minor fissure was complete in only 10 subjects (20%). Completely absent minor fissure was noted in four subjects (8%). The major fissure was incomplete in 17 subjects (34%) at bronchus intermedius level. the minor and major fissure intersected each other in only 27 subjects (54%). The hig best point of intersection was variable. CONCLUSION: There are much more variations in the fissural complex in our study than in previous reports and these variations can be visualized well on thin-section CTscans.
Bronchi ; Lung* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

The CT findings were reviewed in two patients with injuries to the gallbladder following blunt trauma. In one patient high attenuation of intraluminal blood clot within the gallbladder and associated hemoperitoneum were identified. Another patient was represented hemoperitoneum and bile leakage into the peritoneal cavity due to laceration of the fundus of the gallbladder which appeared contrasted.
Bile ; Gallbladder ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Peritoneal Cavity

Proximal tibial osteotomy is a procedure usually employed for osteoarthritis of the knee with a predominant single compartment involvement accompanied by pain and angular deformity. It has as its objective the shift of the gravitational line of weight from an involved to a relatively uninvolved side of the knee. We studied the preoperative clinical status and postoperative results in twenty-two patients (twenty-four knees) who had had a proximal osteotomy for osteoarthritic varus deformity. The mean length of follow-up was 2.6years(Range, 6months to 4.8years). In the preoperative evaluation of the lesion, we used bone scintigraphy to estimate the range and extent of the osteoarthritic change. The scintigraphic results were more sensitive to simple x-ray finding in a disease process. The range of motion of the knee were improved after osteotomy, from 7.7degree-128 degree to 2.6 degree-135degree(5.1degree in flexion contracture and 7 degree in further flexion). Correction of the tibiofemoral angle was performed to the level that we had decided correction angle to 7 degree and 3 degree of overcorrection. The correltion of good clinical results and tibiofemoral angle was dependent on whether the postoperative tibiofemoral angle is more than 5 degree valgus or not.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteotomy ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Range of Motion, Articular

No Abstract Available.

Objective: To examine the effects of Tribulus terrestris L. (T. terrestris) extract on the modulation of calcium channels to evaluate its use in topical agents for treatment of atopic dermatitis. Methods: The 70% methanol extract of T. terrestris was prepared. Human HEK293T cells with over-expressed calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1 (Orai1), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, or transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) were treated with T. terrestris extract. Modulation of ion channels was measured using a conventional whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Results: T. terrestris extract (100 mg/mL) significantly inhibited Orai1 activity in Orai1-stromal interaction molecule 1 co-overexpressed HEK293T cells. In addition, T. terrestris extract significantly increased the TRPV3 activity compared with 2-Aminoethyl diphe-nylborinate (100 mmol/L), which induces the full activation of TRPV3. Conclusions: Our results suggest that T. terrestris extract may have a therapeutic po-tential for recovery of abnormal skin barrier pathologies in atopic dermatitis through modulating the activities of calcium ion channels, Orai1 and TRPV3. This is the first study to report the modulatory effect of a medicinal plant on the function of ion channels in skin barrier.