Purpose: This study aimed to examine the health concerns of parents regarding their premature infants and to identify changes in these concerns during perinatal period and after discharge. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed at a single tertiary center that enrolled 119 premature infants who were discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and visited the outpatient pediatrics department between December 2018 and October 2021. Data on the concerns of 176 parents regarding enrolled premature infants’ health from before birth to 1 week after NICU discharge were obtained from outpatient records. The t test and with the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data for this study. Results The consistently greatest focus of parents' health concerns was the respiratory system. The second focus of parents' health concerns before discharge was the central nervous system. However, during the first week after NICU discharge, the gastrointestinal system was the second-most frequent focus of parents’ health concerns among parents of infants without diseases related to prematurity and infants with older gestational ages. Conclusion: The results of this study offer insights into the health concerns among parents of premature infants. Parental health concerns about premature infants vary over time, from before birth to post-discharge, necessitating supportive interventions to enhance parental understanding of their child's health status.

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a predictive model for self-esteem of adolescents in multicultural families. The study was based on the theory of family stress model and literature review. Methods: This study used some of the data from the 1st year (2011) to the 6th year (2016) of the ‘Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS)'.Data analysis was conducted for 1,208 children and 1,208 mothers from the data of the 4th MAPS (2014), which was the first year of the middle school students. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS-WIN Version 20.0 and AMOS Version 20.0. Results: The factors that have influence on the self-esteem of multicultural adolescents are mother’s parenting attitude and mother’s self-esteem. The explanatory power of these variables was 14%. Conclusion To increase the self-esteem of multicultural adolescents, a program that can positively change the self-esteem and parenting attitudes of multicultural mothers should be developed, and various social supports should be provided for multicultural mothers.

STUDY DESIGN: A radiological analysis of the sagittal balance in younger and older aged volunteers. OBJECTIVES: To determine the normal range of the sagittal spinal alignment, and define significant spinopelvic compensations over the hip axis for the sagittal balance with aging. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Normative data of the sagittal spinal alignment has wide variation and limited clinical usefulness. In addition, the extent to which the "normal"sagittal spinal contour changes with aging remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria were an age between 20 and 29 years (n=50), group A, and between 55 and 65 years (n=50), group B, for the asymptomatic subjects. Measurements made on the standing lateral radiographs included the following: thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and sagittal vertical axis. In addition, measurements of the sacropelvic translation, spinopelvic balance, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilting and sacral slope were made. RESULTS: The average thoracic kyphosis was 24 degrees, ranging from 3 to 42 degrees, in group A, and 33 degrees, ranging from 9 to 53 degrees, in group B (p<0.001). The average lumbar lordosis was -47 degrees, ranging from -65 to -23 degrees, and -51 degrees, ranging from -69 to -33 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p>0.05). The C7 plumb line, on average, fell 15.4 mm more anteriorly to the posterosuperior corner of S1 in group B than in group A (p<0.05). The anterior positioning of the C7 was also positively correlated with decreasing lordosis (p<0.001). The average sacropelvic translation was -41mm, ranging from -76 to 20 mm, and -48 mm, ranging from -76 to -17 mm, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average spinopelvic balance was -57 mm, ranging from -104 to -4 mm, and -49 mm, ranging from -101 to -3 mm, in groups A and B, respectively. The C7 plumb line fell posterior to the hip axis in all cases. The average pelvic incidence was 46 degrees, ranging from 30 to 61 degrees, and 54 degrees, ranging from 28 to 76 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average pelvic tilt was 14 degrees, ranging from 4 to 33 degrees, and 19 degrees, ranging from 3 to 37 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average sacral slope was 32 degrees, ranging from 17 to 47 degrees, and 35 degrees, ranging from 25 to 50 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). There was significant correlation between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The sagittal spinal balance is maintained by spinopelvic compensations over the hip axis with aging, and sacropelvic parameters over the hip axis are important for the evaluation of the sagittal spinal balance.
Aging ; Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Hip ; Incidence ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Pelvis ; Reference Values ; Volunteers*

STUDY DESIGN: A radiological analysis of the sagittal balance in younger and older aged volunteers. OBJECTIVES: To determine the normal range of the sagittal spinal alignment, and define significant spinopelvic compensations over the hip axis for the sagittal balance with aging. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Normative data of the sagittal spinal alignment has wide variation and limited clinical usefulness. In addition, the extent to which the "normal"sagittal spinal contour changes with aging remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria were an age between 20 and 29 years (n=50), group A, and between 55 and 65 years (n=50), group B, for the asymptomatic subjects. Measurements made on the standing lateral radiographs included the following: thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and sagittal vertical axis. In addition, measurements of the sacropelvic translation, spinopelvic balance, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilting and sacral slope were made. RESULTS: The average thoracic kyphosis was 24 degrees, ranging from 3 to 42 degrees, in group A, and 33 degrees, ranging from 9 to 53 degrees, in group B (p<0.001). The average lumbar lordosis was -47 degrees, ranging from -65 to -23 degrees, and -51 degrees, ranging from -69 to -33 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p>0.05). The C7 plumb line, on average, fell 15.4 mm more anteriorly to the posterosuperior corner of S1 in group B than in group A (p<0.05). The anterior positioning of the C7 was also positively correlated with decreasing lordosis (p<0.001). The average sacropelvic translation was -41mm, ranging from -76 to 20 mm, and -48 mm, ranging from -76 to -17 mm, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average spinopelvic balance was -57 mm, ranging from -104 to -4 mm, and -49 mm, ranging from -101 to -3 mm, in groups A and B, respectively. The C7 plumb line fell posterior to the hip axis in all cases. The average pelvic incidence was 46 degrees, ranging from 30 to 61 degrees, and 54 degrees, ranging from 28 to 76 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average pelvic tilt was 14 degrees, ranging from 4 to 33 degrees, and 19 degrees, ranging from 3 to 37 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). The average sacral slope was 32 degrees, ranging from 17 to 47 degrees, and 35 degrees, ranging from 25 to 50 degrees, in groups A and B, respectively (p<0.05). There was significant correlation between pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The sagittal spinal balance is maintained by spinopelvic compensations over the hip axis with aging, and sacropelvic parameters over the hip axis are important for the evaluation of the sagittal spinal balance.
Aging ; Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Hip ; Incidence ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Pelvis ; Reference Values ; Volunteers*

Bizarre parosteal osteochondromatous proliferation (Nora's lesion) is a rare benign tumor and known to be primarily occur in the small tubular bone of the hands and feet. However, it is very unusual to be reported that it occurs in metatarsal bone in Korea. Thus, we report this tumor of metatarsal bone including the literature review because we have experienced this example.
Foot ; Hand ; Korea ; Metatarsal Bones*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine whether the serum apolipoprotein A1(apoA1) level, as measured at different time points after hepatectomy and liver transplantation, can predict the synthesis ability of the liver and the nutritional status. We also investigated the usefulness of regions of interest(ROIs) as an indicator of the recovery status of the liver after liver transplantation. METHODS: 93 patients (21: laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 53: partial hepatectomy, 19: liver transplantation) were operated on under general anesthesia. The serum levels of apoA1, prealbumin, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and the prothrombin time were measured at pre- and post-operation. The liver conditions were a normal liver (50 cases), hepatitis (16 cases) and liver cirrhosis (28 cases). The mean hepatic attenuation was calculated by averaging the ROI values that were obtained at different hepatic segments. RESULTS: The serum apoA1 level was minimally changed during the perioperative period in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group. Yet in most cases, the serum apoA1 level after partial hepatectomy and liver transplantation was decreased on postoperative days (PODs) 1 and 7, but it nearly recovered to the preoperative level on POD 30. There were significant differences in the values of apoA1 between the normal liver and co-existent liver disease at the various time points. The ROI value after transplantation gradually increased and it reached a normal level by POD 30. CONCLUSION: The serum apoA1 level can be an indicator of liver's ability to synthesize protein and the nutritional status after partial hepatectomy. In addition, ROIs of the unenhanced CT image can reflect the recovery status of the liver after transplantation.
Alanine Transaminase ; Anesthesia, General ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; Apolipoproteins ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Hepatectomy ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; Nutritional Status ; Perioperative Period ; Prealbumin ; Prothrombin Time ; Transplants

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical characteristics of posterior lenticonus associated with pediatric cataracts and to identify the factors associated with final visual acuities after cataract surgery. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients (46 eyes) who were diagnosed with posterior lenticonus preoperatively or during the operation were involved in this study. We investigated the age at diagnosis, the severity of lens opacity, the pre- and postoperative best corrected visual acuity, and the effectiveness of amblyopia treatment. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation was 39.0+/-37.4 months, and the mean follow-up period was 42.8+/-33.5 months postoperatively. Nine patients (23%) had bilateral posterior lenticonus, and the mean age of bilateral cases was lower (p<0.001) and the lens opacity more severe than those of unilateral cases (P=0.001). Fifteen eyes (32.6%) were surgically identified as having posterior lenticonus during lens aspiration, the mean age of surgically identified cases was lower (p<0.001) and the lens opacity more severe then those of preoperatively diagnosed cases (P=0.014). The age at initial examination was negatively correlated with final visual acuities in log MAR (P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral and surgically identified posterior lenticoni were associated with younger age and more severe lens opacity. The final visual acuities were better in patients with late onsets of lens opacities.
Amblyopia ; Cataract* ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Visual Acuity

Heterotopic pregnancy, simultaneous intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy, is an extremely rare case. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy was about 1 to 30,000 pregnancies, but it has increased after wider use of assisted reproductive technology. The rising incidence presents a serious problem as the diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition is often missed. Careful pelvic examination combined with serial beta-hCG determinations, and transvaginal sonography to evaluate the adnexal region are necessary prerequisites for early diagnosis. We report a case of heterotopic pregnancy following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET) with a brief review of literature.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Gynecological Examination ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder and is accompanied by hip osteoarthritis in approximately 28% of patients.This paper reports a case of hip arthrodesis as a treatment for severe hip osteoarthritis in adolescent Down syndrome patients. When performing surgical treatment of patients with Down syndrome, it is necessary to take a comprehensive approach that considers not only the medical point of view, but also the psychological and economic requirements of the patient and their social environment.

While many treatments have been performed to repair the chondral defects during last two decades, most of the repaired tissue has shown fibrocartilage or hyaline-like cartilage. Therefore, the clinical outcomes of conventional treatments are unrealiable and unpredictable. Cell-based treatments have recently emerged to regenerate the cartilage with better biomechanical properties and histological quality so that it resembles nature hyaline cartilage. This review discusses the current methodology of the cell-based treatments and their clinical outcomes.
Cartilage ; Fibrocartilage ; Humans ; Hyaline Cartilage ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis