PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of locking compression plate (LCP)-screw fixation and tension band wiring (TBW) fixation in isolated lateral malleolar fractures.MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2016 to August 2018, 52 patients with isolated lateral malleolar fracture were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into 30 cases of the LCP fixation group (Group I) and 22 cases of the TBW fixation group (Group II). The clinical and radiological results of those groups were compared. Pearson chi-square tests and independent t-tests were used in the statistical analysis.RESULTS: The mean length of the surgical incision was 8.3 cm in Group I and 4.9 cm in Group II. Radiological union was obtained at a mean of 8.4 weeks in both groups. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 90 (range, 85–97) and 92 (range, 85–100) in Groups I and II, respectively, at the last follow up.CONCLUSION: Both the LCP-screw and TBW techniques revealed excellent results in isolated lateral malleolar fractures. The tension band technique may be a fine alternative method of fixation in the treatment of isolated lateral malleolar fracture.
Ankle ; Ankle Fractures ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

We report on the case of a patient with chronic instability of the ball-and-socket ankle joint. The patient, a 21-year-old male, was diagnosed 10 years previously with chronic instability of the ball-and-socket ankle joint. He underwent Broström procedure and augmentation using a periosteal turn down from the fibula for this chronic instability despite having received conservative treatment since the diagnosis. After the procedure, the clinical symptoms of ankle instability were improved and the patient is being periodically followedup. We report on this case of using a Broström procedure as a treatment option for patients with instability of the ball-and-socket ankle joint with normal range of foot and normal ankle joint alignment without damage in the joint and cartilage.

Cubital tunnel syndrome refers to compression neuropathy caused by pressure on the ulnar nerve pathway around the elbow. A 63-year-old male patient visited the clinic complaining of decreased sensation and weakness in his left ring finger and little finger, stating that the symptoms first began 6 months prior. He had undergone surgery to remove a ganglion cyst from his left elbow joint about 5 years prior in Mongolia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic mass located at the previous surgical site, which was compressing the ulnar nerve within the cubital tunnel. Ulnar nerve decompression and anterior transposition were performed, and the cystic mass was excised. Upon pathological examination, the mass was diagnosed as a ganglion cyst. The patient’s symptoms including sensory dysfunction and weakness improved over the 1-year follow-up period. This report describes a rare case of ganglion cyst recurrence compressing the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel after previous ganglion cyst excision.

The coronoid process of the ulna surrounds the distal humerus and plays a vital role in posterior dislocation and posterolateral rotational instability. Elbow stability may not be possible if there is a more than 50% loss. Anteromedial facet fractures can lead to instability, radioulnar synostosis. ulnohumeral arthrosis, severe stiffness. Therefore, surgical fixation is required to ensure adequate elbow stability and decrease the risk of posttraumatic ulnohumeral arthrosis. There are several approaches for the repair of coronoid process fractures.In most cases, the posterior approach was used to make a transosseous tunnel connecting the posterior aspect of the olecranon to fix the fracture site. During surgery, the additional dissection required to repair the coronoid might increase the infection risk, nerve injury, heterotopic ossification, and elbow stiffness. The author performed a modified suture lasso and plate fixation with good outcomes. This paper reports this case with a review of the relevant literature.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of cigarette prices on the decision to initiate and quit smoking by taking into account the interdependence of smoking and other behavioral risk factors. METHODS: The study population consisted of 3,000 male Koreans aged > or =20. A survey by telephone interview was undertaken to collect information on cigarette price, smoking and other behavioral risk factors. A two-part model was used to examine separately the effect of price on the decision to be a smoker, and on the amount of cigarettes smoked. RESULTS: The overall price elasticity of cigarettes was estimated at -0.66, with a price elasticity of -0.02 for smoking participation and -0.64 for the amount of cigarettes consumed by smokers. The inclusion of other behavioral risk factors reduced the estimated price elasticity for smoking participation substantially, but had no effect on the conditional price elasticity for the quantity of cigarettes smoked. CONCLUSIONS: From the public health and financial perspectives, an increase in cigarette price would significantly reduce smoking prevalence as well as cigarette consumption by smokers in Korea.
Adult ; *Costs and Cost Analysis ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Smoking/*economics/*prevention & control ; Social Environment ; Socioeconomic Factors ; *Tobacco

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate the willingness to quit cigarette price among Korean male adults, and to examine he factors affecting the willingness to quit cigarette price. METHODS: The data was collected by a random digit dial telephone survey. 702 samples were analyzed by using ttests, ANOVA and OLS regression analysis. To estimate the willingness to quit cigarette price, smokers were asked dichotomous questions with open-ended follow-up and the starting point of the price was randomized by one of 5 bid prices elicited from a pilot study. RESULTS: The mean of the willingness to quit cigarette price was 4,287 Won per package, which was about 2,000 Won higher than the mean of the actual price the smokers now paid. About 41% of respondents were willing to quit smoking if the price of cigarette would be increased by 3,000 Won, and if the price would be increased by 20,000 Won, all respondents were willing to quit smoking. The factors associated with the willingness to quit cigarette price were the place of residence, the amount of smoking and the degree of exposure to smoking through the mass media. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that to get people to quit smoking, increasing the cigarette price would obviously be effective and much higher prices have a greater effect. Furthermore, to enlarge the effect of increased cigarette prices, providing more cessation programs to small towns, reducing the amount of smoking and decreasing or prohibiting advertisements of cigarettes and smoking in the mass media will be efficient.
Adult ; *Commerce ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Motivation ; Smoking/*economics/ethnology ; Smoking Cessation/*ethnology

Background: Metabolic syndrome has been known as a risk of cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is used as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. In this paper, we aimed to investigate the association between hs-CRP and metabolic syndrome.Method: A total of 7,633 were chosen as the study population from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset (2016–2017). Our dependent variable was whether an individual had metabolic syndrome or not, and the independent variable of interest was hs-CRP which was categorized into three groups. The chi-square tests and hierarchical logistic regression analyses reflecting survey characteristics were conducted. All analyses were stratified by gender. Results: According to the adjusted model with all covariates, compared to individuals having the low risk of hs-CRP, those having its average risk were more likely to have metabolic syndrome in men (odds ratio [OR], 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.76) and women (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.33–2.16). Individuals having the high risk was not significantly different in men; however, they were more likely to have metabolic syndrome in women (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.28–3.23). Conclusion In an upcoming aging society, it is important to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome to improve population health. This study suggests that hs-CRP may be used as a marker of the risk of metabolic syndrome in a gender-specific way, thereby contributing to enhancing awareness of the risk of metabolic syndrome among the general public.

The μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is a class of opioid receptors characterized by a high affinity for β-endorphin and morphine. MOR is a G proteincoupled receptor (GPCR) that plays a role in reward and analgesic effects. While expression of MOR has been well established in neurons and microglia, astrocytic MOR expression has been less clear. Recently, we have reported that MOR is expressed in hippocampal astrocytes, and its activation has a critical role in the establishment of conditioned place preference. Despite this critical role, the expression and function of astrocytic MOR from other brain regions are still unknown. Here, we report that MOR is significantly expressed in astrocytes and GABAergic neurons from various brain regions including the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, periaqueductal gray, amygdala, and arcuate nucleus. Using the MORmCherry reporter mice and Imaris analysis, we demonstrate that astrocytic MOR expression exceeded 60% in all tested regions. Also, we observed similar MOR expression of GABAergic neurons as shown in the previous distribution studies and it is noteworthy that MOR expression is particularly in parvalbumin (PV)-positive neurons. Furthermore, consistent with the normal MOR function observed in the MOR-mCherry mouse, our study also demonstrates intact MOR functionality in astrocytes through iGluSnFr-mediated glutamate imaging. Finally, we show the sex-difference in the expression pattern of MOR in PV-positive neurons, but not in the GABAergic neurons and astrocytes. Taken together, our findings highlight a substantial astrocytic MOR presence across various brain regions.

Purpose: Intertrochanteric fractures can be treated using proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA). This study examined the clinical and radiological results of the intraoperative fracture compression. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four patients underwent intraoperative compression (Group I), and 88patients underwent natural sliding only (Group II). The patients were followed-up for more than two years. All patients met the following seven conditions: (1) AO/OTA 31-A1, A2 type intertrochanter fracture, (2) availability of compression of more than one cortical bone in the anterior or medial regionof the fracture site under the preoperative imaging test, (3) Singh index grade ≥3, (4) blade position: center-center, center-inferior, (5) tip-apex distance <25 mm, (6) reduction status of good or very good, and (7) positive or neutral medial cortical support position with slightly valgus reduction. Results: A slight tendency toward significant differences in acute phase pain between the two groups was observed at six weeks postoperatively (p=0.073). Twenty-four months after surgery, lateral extension of the PFNA helical blade between the two groups showed significant differences (p=0.017). Fracture gaps measured immediately after surgery showed significant differences (p=0.001), and a clear tendency for a significant difference in the average fracture union time was found (p=0.065). Conclusion Intraoperative fracture compression, intraoperative fracture compression appears beneficial to achieve a successful union of trochanteric fractures provided that all conditions are met to apply the method safely.

Background: Accurate diagnosis of diseases in animals is crucial for their treatment, and imaging evaluations such as radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important tools for this purpose. However, a cross-sectional anatomical atlas of normal skeletal and internal organs of long-tailed gorals (Naemorhedus caudatus) has not yet been prepared for diagnosing their diseases. Objectives: The objective of this study was to create an anatomical atlas of gorals using CT and MRI, which are imaging techniques that have not been extensively studied in this type of wild animal in Korea. Methods: The researchers used CT and MRI to create an anatomical atlas of gorals, and selected 37 cross-sections from the head, thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum parts of gorals to produce an average cross-sectional anatomy atlas. Results: This study successfully created an anatomical atlas of gorals using CT and MRI. Conclusions The atlas provides valuable information for the diagnosis of diseases in gorals, which can improve their treatment and welfare. The study highlights the importance of developing cross-sectional anatomical atlases of gorals to diagnose and treat their diseases effectively.