No abstract available.
Embryonic Structures* ; Extremities*

Injuries and pains of musculoskeletal joint in human body is common onset in industrialized world. However, muscle fatigue plays a very significant role in contributing causes of many pains associated with musculoskeletal joints. Based on this hypothesis, degree of muscle fatigue was investigated using electromyography measurement technique during isometric and concentric/eccentric muscle contractions. Different response of the muscle fatigue between two different muscle contractions (isometric and concentric/eccentric contractions) was examined by comparison of parameters which were median frequency, median power and RMS value. Healthy 16 young persons without previous musculoskeletal diesease history were tested with Noraxon Myosystem 2000 EMG measurement system. In this study, two different exercises were performed. First exercise was concentric/eccentric exercise. Second exercise was isometric muscle contraction. In the case of the isometric exercise, median frequency was decreased, but median power and RMS were increased. However, during the concentric/eccentric exercse, median frequency was increased, but median power and RMS were decreased. Both of those revealed that the pattern of the median frequency was W type, but median power and RMS were M type as time passed. In this study, the patterns of the muscle fatigue during concentric/eccentric exercise as well as isometric exercise were identified. It will be helpful to prevent musculoskeletal injury from over-working andexercising.
Electromyography* ; Exercise ; Human Body ; Humans ; Joints ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle Fatigue*

To determine the optimal therapeutic approach for lower ureteral calculi at the hospitals which have not possessed ESWL, we reviewed 85 cases initially treated with expectancy for more than 7 days. Of 85 cases, 37 were treated with expectancy only and the remaining 48 cases received the endourologic manipulations such as stone basket and ureteroscopic removal. A total cumulative spontaneous passage rate at 3 weeks was about 52.9% and the possibility of spontaneous passage of remained stones at 3 weeks was not significant. The spontaneous passage rate was higher in the cases with the stones of small size (less than 6mm), smooth-round shape and without urinary tract obstruction than the other cases. 26 cases were treated with the stone basket and stone extraction rate was only 42.3%. The stone extraction rate was higher in the cases with the stones of smaller size (less than 4mm), irregular-speculated shape and with short duration of previous expectancy than the other cases. A total of 32 cases received the ureteroscopic manipulation and the success rate was 87.5%. Thus, we recommend initial expectancy for up to 3 weeks in the lower ureteral calculi smaller than 10 mm. And after this period, the positive and selective endourological manipulation considering the stone size, shape and expectant duration may be desirable in respect of treatment efficacy.
Treatment Outcome ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Calculi* ; Urinary Tract

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Follow-Up Studies*

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Follow-Up Studies*

The Graf system has supposed advantages with its flexible nature, as compared with rigid fixation. But there have been no reports about effects in the adjacent motion segment after soft stabilization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiologic changes occuring in the adjacent segments of the Graf system and to assess its ability stabilizing the lumbar spine. A retrospective review of radiographs and medical records was undertaken in 32 cases who had been treated with the Graf system in degenerative lumbar spinal disorders. The average age at operation was 52.5 years and the average follow up period was 49.6 months. The results of this study were as follows: clinical assesments based on the Kirkaldy-Willis criteria revealed excellent in 13 cases (40.6%), good in 16 cases (50%), fair in 2 cases (6.3%) and poor in 1 case (3.1%). Radiologically we analysed the adjacent segments in 25 cases except the cases which did not have the correspondence between the clinical findings and the radiological findings, and the fixated segments in 32 cases. The acceleration of degenerative changes were found in the above adjacent segments in 11 cases (44%) and in the below adjacent segments in 5 cases (27.7%). Also, those changes were found in the fixated segments with discectomy in 19 cases (50%) and in the fixated segments without discectomy in 9 cases (37.5%). In conclusion, we think that the Graf system in a lumbar region may biomechanically influence the adjacent segments. The mechanical effects of the device could be changed by the polyester bands which were followed for a longer period of time in the fixated segments. Therefore, randomized prospective studies comparing the Graf system to other treatement methods could provide clear indications for lumbar spinal disorders.
Acceleration ; Diskectomy ; Equidae ; Follow-Up Studies ; Lumbosacral Region ; Medical Records ; Polyesters ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

No abstract available.
Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Rabbits* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

No abstract available.
Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Rabbits* ; Wound Healing* ; Wounds and Injuries*

No abstract available.
Electric Stimulation*

PURPOSE: We measured pulmonary epithelial permeability by Tc-DTPA radioaerosol clearance in patients with diabetes and correlated with the presence of microangiopathy to understand the pathophysiology of pulmonary microangiopathy and evaluate Tc-DTPA radioaerosol clearance as a diagnostic test to assess pulmonary microangiopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed ' Tc-DTPA radioaerosol scan in 10 normal subjects, 10 asym-ptomatic smokers, 20 diabetic patients without history of smoking (10 with microangiopathy, 10 without microangiopathy). Tc-DTPA clearance half-time (T1/2) was calculated, then compared with the result of chest radiography and pulmonary function test. RESULTS: Chest radiography and pulmonary function test were normal in all subjects. There were no significant difference of clinical or laboratory characteristics between these groups except age. The diabetic patients with micraangiopathy were significantly older (p<0.05). The T1/2of normal subjects and asyrnptomatic smokers were significantly different (65.2+23.7min vs 39.6+9.8min, p<0.05). For diabetic patients with microangiopathy, the T, was 90 5+46.5min and significantly delayed when compared with those of normals and asymptomatic smokers (p<0.05). However, the T1/2of diabetic patients without microangiopathy, 70.0+12.7 min, was not significantly different from those of normals or asyrnptomatic smokers (p>0.05). No significant correlation was found between the T1/2and spirometric parameters including DLcc>, FVC, FEV>, FEV(/FVC (%) and FEF)5-75g in all subjects, and between the T1/2 and duration of diabetes in diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Eventhough the influence of age cant be excluded, delayed Tc-DTPA clearance half-time (T1/2)in diabetic patients with microangiopathy indicates decreased pulmonary cspillary permeability as one of the pathophysiologic results of pulmonary microangiopaththy. Further studies are needed in larger number of age matched control and diabetic patients to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Permeability ; Radiography ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate ; Thorax