Osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures cause socioeconomic concerns, and medical system and policies appear insufficient to prepare for these issues in Korea, where the older adult population is rapidly increasing. Many countries around the world are already responding to osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures by adopting fracture liaison service (FLS), and such an attempt has only begun in Korea. In this article, we introduce the operation methods for institutions implementing FLS and characteristics of services, and activities of the FLS Committee for FLS implementation in the Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research. In addition, we hope that the current position statement will contribute to the implementation of FLS in Korea and impel policy changes to enable a multidisciplinary and integrated FLS operated under the medical system.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to evaluate and compare the revision rate due to aseptic loosening between a high-flex prosthesis and a conventional prosthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two thousand seventy-eight knees (1,377 patients) with at least 2 years of follow-up after total knee arthroplasty were reviewed. Two types of implants were selected (LPS-Flex and LPS, Zimmer) to compare revision and survival rates and sites of loosened prosthesis component. RESULTS: The revision rate of the LPS-Flex (4.9%) was significantly higher than that of the conventional prosthesis (0.6%) (p<0.001). The 5-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 98.9%, 96.2% and 92.0%, respectively, for the LPS-Flex and 99.8%, 98.5% and 93.5%, respectively, for the LPS. The survival rate of the high-flex prosthesis was significantly lower than that of the conventional prosthesis, especially in the mid-term period (range, 5 to 10 years; p=0.002). The loosening rate of the femoral component was significantly higher in the LPS-Flex prosthesis (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The LPS-Flex had a higher revision rate due to aseptic loosening than the LPS prosthesis in the large population series with a long follow-up. The LPS-Flex should be used carefully considering the risk of femoral component aseptic loosening in the mid-term (range, 5 to 10 years) follow-up period after initial operation.
Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee Prosthesis ; Knee ; Prostheses and Implants ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease is a common complication after liver transplantation. In this study, we analyzed the results of kidney biopsy in liver transplantation recipients with renal impairment. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2012, 544 liver transplants were performed at our hospital. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and histological data of 10 liver transplantation recipients referred for kidney biopsy. RESULTS: The biopsies were performed at a median of 24.5 months (range, 3-73 months) after liver transplantation. The serum creatinine level was 1.81+/-0.5mg/dL at the time of kidney biopsy. There were no immediate complications. The most common diagnosis was glomerulonephritis (GN), such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy (n=4), mesangial proliferative GN(n=1), focal proliferative GN (n=1), and membranous GN (n=1). Typical calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-induced nephrotoxicity was detected in three cases (30%).Chronic tissue changes such as glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, and tubular atrophy were present in 90%, 80%,and 80% of cases, respectively, and mesangial proliferation was detected in 40%of cases. We began treatment for renal impairment based on the result of kidney biopsy; for example, angiotensin-receptor blockers or steroids were prescribed for GN, and the CNI dose was reduced for CNI nephrotoxicity. As a result, eight of 10 patients showed improvement in glomerular filtration rate, but two progressed to end-stage renal disease. CONCLUSION: Kidney biopsy is a safe and effective method for determining the cause of renal impairment after liver transplantation. Management of patients based on the result of kidney biopsy may improve renal outcomes.
Atrophy ; Biopsy* ; Calcineurin ; Creatinine ; Diagnosis ; Fibrosis ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney* ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver* ; Methods ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroids ; Transplantation*

Ruptured vertebral artery- dissecting aneurysms (VADAs) must be treated as early as possible due to frequent rebleeding in the early stage. We have reported herein two patients with VADAs who were treated using internal trapping using detachable coils. Both patients were young females in their 40's. They had been admitted to the emergency clinic due to severe headaches and mental deterioration. Brain computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhages in the posterior fossa, and transfemoral catheter cerebral angiography revealed dissecting aneurysms at the dominant vertebral arteries. Under general anesthesia, embolization of the parent artery, including the aneurysmal portion, using Guglielmi detachable coils was performed without any procedural complications. Before the induction of general anesthesia, a balloon test occlusion was done on both patients. Both patients improved well after surgery. One patient underwent cerebral angiography at six months after surgery and showed no recurrence of the aneurysm or recanalization of the parent artery. Both patients were free of neurologic findings on follow-up at the 6- and 12- month. Based on these results, patients with ruptured VADAs, located in the dominant vertebral arteries, may be successfully treated with urgent internal trapping using an endovascular technique in selected cases.
Anesthesia, General ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Arteries ; Balloon Occlusion ; Brain ; Catheters ; Cerebral Angiography ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Emergencies ; Endovascular Procedures ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parents ; Recurrence ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery

PURPOSE: To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korea. METHODS: Web-based (www.armd-nova.or.kr) registration was conducted for AMD patients aged 50 or more who were newly diagnosed by retinal specialists in Korea from August 20, 2005 to August 20, 2006. Patient data including ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiogram and/or indocyanin green angiogram (ICG), past medical history, behavioral habit, combined systemic diseases were up-loaded. RESULTS: Among finally enrolled 1,141 newly diagnosed AMD patients, 690 patients (60.5%) were male and 451 patients (39.5%) were female. The average age of AMD patients was 69.7+/-8.0. Early AMD was observed in 190 patients and 951 patients had late AMD. Classic choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) was observed in 18.6% of exudative AMD patients and 63.4 % had occult CNVM. Subfoveal CNVM was observed in 80.4% of the patients with CNVM. Among the 580 exudative AMD eyes that performed indocyanin green angiography (ICG), 184 eyes (31.7%) had polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and 36 eyes (6.2%) showed retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP). Age, male gender, smoking, diabetes and hypertension significantly increased the risk of the AMD among Koreans. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low rate of participation by retinal specialists, definite incidence of AMD was not obtainable. However, the estimated 1-year AMD incidence in the Pusan area of Korea is at least 0.4%. In contrast to Western people, 31.7% of exudative AMD cases were revealed to be PCV and 6.2% were revealed to be RAP. This discrepancy between ethnic groups should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment modality selection of Korean AMD patients.
Aged ; Angiography ; Choroid ; Ethnic Groups ; Eye ; Female ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Membranes ; Photography ; Retinaldehyde ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Specialization

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical features of human cadaveric spines implanted with the Activ L prosthesis. METHODS: Five cadaveric human lumbosacral spines (L2-S2) were tested for different motion modes, i.e. extension and flexion, right and left lateral bending and rotation. Baseline measurements of the range of motion (ROM), disc pressure (DP), and facet strain (FS) were performed in six modes of motion by applying loads up to 8 Nm, with a loading rate of 0.3 Nm/second. A constant 400 N axial follower preload was applied throughout the loading. After the Activ L was implanted at the L4-L5 disc space, measurements were repeated in the same manner. RESULTS: The Activ L arthroplasty showed statistically significant decrease of ROM during rotation, increase of ROM during flexion and lateral bending at the operative segment and increase of ROM at the inferior segment during flexion. The DP of the superior disc of the operative site was comparable to those of intact spine and the DP of the inferior disc decreased in all motion modes, but these were not statistically significant. For FS, statistically significant decrease was detected at the operative facet during flexion and at the inferior facet during rotation. CONCLUSION: In vitro physiologic preload setting, the Activ L arthroplasty showed less restoration of ROM at the operative and adjacent levels as compared with intact spine. However, results of this study revealed that there are several possible theoretical useful results to reduce the incidence of adjacent segment disease.
Arthroplasty ; Biomechanics ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prostheses and Implants ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Spine ; Sprains and Strains

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to elucidate the technical and patient-specific risk factors for postoperative ischemia in patients undergoing temporary arterial occlusion (TAO) during the surgical repair of their aneurysms. METHODS: Eighty-nine consecutive patients in whom TAO was performed during surgical repair of an aneurysm were retrospectively analyzed. The demographics of the patients were analyzed with respect to age, Hunt and Hess grade on admission, Fisher grade of hemorrhage, aneurysm characteristics, timing of surgery, duration of temporary occlusion, and number of temporary occlusive episodes. Outcome was analyzed at the 3-month follow-up, along with the occurrence of symptomatic and radiological stroke. RESULTS: In overall, twenty-seven patients (29.3%) had radiologic ischemia attributable to TAO and fifteen patients (16.3%) had symptomatic ischemia attributable to TAO. Older age and poor clinical grade were associated with poor clinical outcome. There was a significantly higher rate of symptomatic ischemia in patients who underwent early surgery (p = 0.007). The incidence of ischemia was significantly higher in patients with TAO longer than 10 minutes (p = 0.01). In addition, patients who underwent repeated TAO, which allowed reperfusion, had a lower incidence of ischemia than those who underwent single TAO lasting for more than 10 minutes (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Duration of occlusion is the only variable that needs to be considered when assessing the risk of postoperative ischemic complication in patients who undergo temporary vascular occlusion. Attention must be paid to the patient's age, grade of hemorrhage, and the timing of surgery. In addition, patients undergoing dissection when brief periods of temporary occlusion are performed may benefit more from intermittent reperfusion than continuous clip application. With careful planning, the use of TAO is a safe technique when used for periods of less than 10 minutes.
Aneurysm ; Brain Ischemia ; Craniotomy ; Demography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Ischemia ; Reperfusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Troleandomycin

OBJECTIVE: The number of elderly patients with cerebral aneurysm has markedly increased. We investigated the clinical characteristics and the surgical outcomes of cerebral aneurysms among elderly patients more than 65 years of age compared to a control group including patients less than 65. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2001 to May 2007, 590 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were treated; among them, 88 patients (14.9%) more than 65 were candidates for this study. The variables included in the analysis were: age, gender, size and site of the aneurysm, the Hunt-Hess grade, size of the hematoma on the CT scan, and comorbidities. RESULTS: The mean age was 69 (range 65-84 years), 72 patients (81%) were female, 72 of the patients had a Hunt-Hess grade of I-III, 37 patients (42%) had anterior communicating artery bleeds, and 13 patients (16.7%) had multiple aneurysms. The treatments consisted of neck clipping for 77 aneurysms and endovascular therapy for 11 aneurysms. Fifty eight patients (65.9%) had a favorable outcome and the overall mortality was 11.4%. The main causes of unfavorable outcomes among the elderly patients included a poor Hunt-Hess grade on admission and a concurrent intracerebral hematoma. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that advanced age was not a contra-indication to aneurysm surgery and early craniotomy can lead to a better outcome in elderly patients.
Aged ; Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Comorbidity ; Craniotomy ; Female ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Neck ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: Aim of study was to find a proper method for assessing subsidence using a radiologic measurement following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with stand-alone polyetheretherketone (PEEK), Solis(TM) cage. METHODS: Forty-two patients who underwent ACDF with Solis(TM) cage were selected. With a minimum follow-up of 6 months, the retrospective investigation was conducted for 37 levels in 32 patients. Mean follow-up period was 18.9 months. Total intervertebral height (TIH) of two fused vertebral bodies was measured on digital radiographs with built-in software. Degree of subsidence (DeltaTIH) was reflected by the difference between the immediate postoperative and follow-up TIH. Change of postoperative disc space height (CT-MR DeltaTIH) was reflected by the difference between TIH of the preoperative mid-sagittal 2D CT and that of the preoperative mid-sagittal T1-weighted MRI. RESULTS: Compared to preoperative findings, postoperative disc height was increased in all cases and subsidence was observed only in 3 cases. For comparison of subsidence and non-subsidence group, TIH and CT-MRDeltaTIH of each group were analyzed. There was no statistically significant difference in TIH and CT-MR DeltaTIH between each group at 4 and 8 weeks, but a difference was observed at the last follow-up TIH (p=0.0497). CONCLUSION: ACDF with Solistrade mark cage was associated with relatively good radiologic long-term results. Fusion was achieved in 94.5% and subsidence occurred in 8.1% by the radiologic assessment. Statistical analysis reveals that the subsidence seen later than 8 weeks after surgery and the development of subsidence does not correlate statistically with the change of the postoperative disc space height.
Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ketones ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Respiratory motion is a considerable inhibiting factor for precise treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery using the CyberKnife (CK). In this study, we developed a moving phantom to simulate three-dimensional breathing movement and investigated the distortion of dose profiles between the use of a moving phantom and a static phantom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The phantom consisted of four pieces of polyethylene; two sheets of Gafchromic film were inserted for dosimetry. Treatment was planned to deliver 30 Gy to virtual tumors of 20, 30, 40, and 50 mm diameters using 104 beams and a single center mode. A specially designed robot produced three-dimensional motion in the right-left, anterior-posterior, and craniocaudal directions of 5, 10 and 20 mm, respectively. Using the optical density of the films as a function of dose, the dose profiles of both static and moving phantoms were measured. RESULTS: The prescribed isodose to cover the virtual tumors on the static phantom were 80% for 20 mm, 84% for 30 mm, 83% for 40 mm and 80% for 50 mm tumors. However, to compensate for the respiratory motion, the minimum isodose levels to cover the moving target were 70% for the 30~50 mm diameter tumors and 60% for a 20 mm tumor. For the 20 mm tumor, the gaps between the isodose curves for the static and moving phantoms were 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 and 1.1 mm for the cranial, caudal, right, and left direction, respectively. In the case of the 30 mm tumor, the gaps were 3.9, 4.2, 2.8, 0 mm, respectively. In the case of the 40 mm tumor, the gaps were 4.0, 4.8, 1.1, and 0 mm, respectively. In the case of the 50 mm diameter tumor, the gaps were 3.9, 3.9, 0 and 0 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: For a tumor of a 20 mm diameter, the 80% isodose curve can be planned to cover the tumor; a 60% isodose curve will have to be chosen due to the tumor motion. The gap between these 80% and 60% curves is 5 mm. In tumors with diameters of 30, 40 and 50 mm, the whole tumor will be covered if an isodose curve of about 70% is selected, equivalent of placing a respiratory margin of below 5 mm. It was confirmed that during CK treatment for a moving tumor, the range of distortion produced by motion was less than the range of motion itself.
Polyethylene ; Radiosurgery* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Respiration