Fixation failure is a major complication of intertrochanteric fracture. The causes of fixation failure were assessed in a series of 80 patients with intertrochanteric fractures, which had been internally fixed with either a sliding hip screw or a Gamma interlocking nail. The overall rate of fixation failure was 16.3%, in which the cutting-out of the implant from the femoral head was the only cause of the instance. The cutting-out rate was influenced by the accuracy of fracture reduction, the position of implant placement within the femoral head, and the bone mineral density. Anatomical reduction and the central placement of implant within the femoral head showed the most excellent results compared to other treatment modalities. Age, gender, fracture type and a kind of fixation implant had no significant effect. Our results showed that the intertrochanteric fractures should be reduced as anatomically as possible and it is essential that the central placement of the implant within the femoral head be obtained.
Bone Density ; Head ; Hip ; Hip Fractures* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Cell Line* ; Humans* ; Monocytes*

No abstract available.

The present study was intended to examine the effect of sodium vanadate on contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various conditions. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Sodium vanadate induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) The contractile effects were not blocked by treatments with adrenergic blocking agent(phentolamine) and indomethacin, indicating the direct action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of ouabain, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, sodium vanadate still increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle. 4) Treatment with 4.4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid(DIDS) blocked completely the contractile effects of sodium vanadate. 5) In the presence of verapamil, lanthanum and ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle by sodium vanadate was decreased. From the above results. it was suggested that sodium vanadate acts directly on vascular smooth muscle and causes contraction. It was probably due to inhibition of Ca(++)-ATPase in plasma membrane as well as increasing the release of Ca(++) from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca(++) influx across the plasma membrane, but not inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cell Membrane ; Endothelial Cells ; Indomethacin ; Lanthanum ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium* ; Vanadates* ; Verapamil

To investigate the effect of tumor removal and administration of OK432 on the splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats, NK cell activity assay using a 4-hour 51Cr release assay and flow cytometric analysis for NK cell population were performed. The results were as follows: 1. Splenic NK cell activity and population in the subcutaneous tumor bearing rats decreased along with the growth of the tumor. 2. The rats with subcutaneous tumor removal showed decrease of splenic NK cell activity, but splenic NK cell population was not decreased. 3. In the rats with subcutaneous tumor removal and OK432 administration, splenic NK cell activity was significantly increased 1 week after administration of OK432 and then gradually returned to normal, whereas increase of NK cell population was not significant. In the present study, splenic NK cell activity was significantly decreased despite removal of subcutaneous tumor. But with the administration of OK432, splenic NK cell activity returned to normal. Considering the role of NK cells on the first line of defense against the metastatic implantation of circulating tumor emboli, we suggest that perioperative administration of immunopotentiator such as OK432 may improve the patient's outcome after surgery of human neoplasm.
Animals ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural* ; Picibanil* ; Rats* ; Spleen

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND : Borame hospital nuns geriatric wards with 120 beds (40 beds for patients in Dept. of Internal Medicine, 40 for patients in Dept. of Orthopedics 40 for patients in Dept. of Neurology) from December 1996. We studied clinical characteristics of admissions to acute geriatric wards in Borame hospital in order to assess current status of geriatric wards in Korea. METHODS : 334 patients admitted from December 1996 to May 1997 were studied. By reviewing clinical records of these patients, we studied clinical characteristics of patients in geriatric wards retrospectively. RESULTS : 1) Age distribution: 8.6% of patients were over 85 years old. 16.4% of patients were between age of 80-84. 20.0% between 75-79, 31.3% between 70-74, 26.3% between 65-69, respectively. 2) Disease: 43% of patients have single disease, 67% of patients have multiple disease(23% of patients with 2 disease, 25% with 3 disease, 6% with 4 disease, 3% with over 5 disease respectively). 3) Mortality rate :Total mortality rates were 4.3% with 6.1% of patients in Internal medicine, 3.2% of patients in Neurology. These rates were much higher compared with mortality rates of 2.4% in general wards but similar to those (6.7%) in general wards in Internal medicine. 4) Causes of admission: Malignancies were most common causes of admissions in males, and then cerebrovascular diseases, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, in order. Musculoskeletal diseases were most common causes, and then diabetes mellitus, infectious diseases, cerebrovascular diseases. CONCLUSION : The elderly patients tend to have multiple diseases, longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates compared with younger patients in general wards. but differences of hospital stays and mortality rates are less than be expected.
Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Communicable Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Mortality ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Neurology ; Orthopedics ; Patients' Rooms ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Breast Implants* ; Breast* ; Contracture* ; Pregnancy*

No abstract available.
Bronchial Arteries* ; Hemoptysis*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of subretinal hemorrhage after photodynamic therapy in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data for 267 eyes of 243 patients who had undergone PDT for the treatment of ARMD between January 2005 and December 2006. Best corrected visual acuity, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and ICG angiography were performed before and after treatment. We followed up the patients at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment and at 3-month intervals thereafter. RESULTS: Postoperative subretinal hemorrhage was seen in 36 (13.4%) of 267 eyes. The pretreatment and post-treatment mean visual acuities were logMAR 0.80 and logMAR 1.05 respectively, representing a decrease of 2.05 lines. On FAG, two eyes were predominantly classic, four eyes were minimally classic, and 30 eyes were occult. The laser irradiation spot size was under 3,000 micrometer in one case and from 3,000 micrometer to 5,000 micrometer in 19 cases and over 5,000 micrometer in 16 eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Subretinal hemorrhage after PDT for ARMD can be a common complication in patients who have been treated for larger irradiation spot sizes and for pigment epithelial detachment (PED), so doctors should be aware of the risk of serious hemorrhagic complications in such situations.
Angiography ; Eye ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration ; Photochemotherapy ; Photography ; Retrospective Studies ; Triazenes ; Visual Acuity