Predictors of Walking Ability Recovery after Total Knee Arthroplasty / The Japanese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine

We investigated the recovery time of walking ability after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and patient's background : age at the operation time, gender, BMI, the affected joints (single or bilateral), assessment criteria for the evaluation of osteoarthritis of the knee (JOA score), and surgical approach. We examined predictors of walking ability recovery time after TKA. There were 88 knees operated on in 67 patients (7 men and 60 women) using TKA in our institution. The causes of disease were osteoarthritis (OA) in 80 knees and spontenous osteonecrosis (ON) in 8 knees. We investigated the period required to be able to walk using parallel bars, to walk with a T cane and to go up and down stairs with a handrail. The period required to be able to walk with parallel bars averaged 5.7 days post operation ; to walk with a T cane averaged 16.1 days, and to go up and down stairs required an average of 22.9 days. In conclusion, the factors that significantly influenced the postoperative walking ability recovery period were the affected joints (single or bilateral), age at operation, surgical approach and preoperative JOA score.

Effect of Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to on the Monoamine-Related Substances in Several Regions of Mouse Brain / 日本東洋医学雑誌

We studied the effect of Saiko-ka-ryukotsu-borei-to (crude extract powder for research purposes) on central monoamine-related substances in mice. The formulation was given in a dose of 50mg/kg or 400mg/kg and was administered once or repeatedly (twice a day for seven days). The brain was removed and segmented in the conventional method. The monoamine-related substances were measured by a method using HPLC-ECD. The main results were as follows. The single or repeated administration of 50mg/kg increased DOPAC and HVA contents in the cerebral cortex. In the hypothalamus, the single 50mg/kg treatment decreased NE, and the repeated 50mg/kg treatment decreased NE but increased DOPA. In the corpus striatum, the single 50mg/kg administration increased DA, DOPAC, HVA, and 5-HIAA while the repeated administration increased NE and MHPG as well. In this region, the single 400mg/kg treatment increased NE and 5-HIAA, and the repeated treatment increased NE. In the hyppocampus, the repeated 50mg/kg treatment increased MHPG, and the repeated 400mg/kg treatment decreased HVA. These results indicate that the effect of this formulation on murine brain monoamines is greater at 50mg/kg than at 400mg/kg and that the effect varies among the regions of the brain.