Clinical and Laboratory Features of Children with Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Enzyme Complexes Defect and Neurological Abnormalities: A case report

Mitochondrial cytopathies represent a heterogeneous group of multisystem disorder that preferentially affects the muscle and nervous systems. Mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme complexes (MRC) defect can be the cause of many unexplained neurological disorders including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, delayed development and hypotonia. We retrospectively reviewed clinical and laboratory features of 16 patients who showed defects in MRC activity, confirmed by biochemical assay from spectrophotometry in muscles to characterize clinical and laboratory features for MRC defects and provide more precise diagnosis and effective treatments. In the patients with uncontrolled seizure activity, developmental regression, characteristic features of bilateral symmetric high signal intensity at deep nucleus and/or white matter in T2WI, the mitochondrial cytopathies should be added to the list of differential diagnoses. And lactate elevation in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can be useful in the diagnosis of mitochondrial cytopathies.

Application of New Combined Ortho-prosthesis to Severe Leg Length Inequality: A case report

We presented a case which showed clinical improvements after fabricating new ortho-prosthesis to a patient with severe leg length inequality. He was 51 years old and had developed the leg length inequality on the right due to osteomyelitis that he experienced when he was seven. He had been using the orthosis fabricated by a private orthotic shop for more than twenty years from his twenties. We prescribed a new ortho-prosthesis composed of patellar tendon bearing ankle foot orthosis combined with endoskeletal shank and dynamic SACH foot. With this new ortho-prosthesis, there were significant improvements in initial abnormal gait patterns of excessive knee flexion at mid-stance and decreased maximal knee flexion peak at swing phase in the kinematic parameters on transverse plane. And step width, step length and step time were also improved. He got pain relief and improvement of gait endurance

Bony Lesion of Divers in Korea / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Bornstein and plate (1911) and Bassoe (1913), followed by many European and American, described the radiographic appearance of avascular necrosis of the bone in compressed air worker. Divers bone lesions was described for the first time by Grutzmacher in 1941. There is not any report of information on the caisson disease and divers bone lesions in this country. Inview of these considerations, during the period from March to June 1981, 124 traditional civilian divers and 132 Naval divers, were observed in eight Korean coastal cities (In-cheon, Sam-chun-po, Sin-hae, Pu-san, Ul-san, Ku-ryung-po, joo-moon-jin and Sok-cho). For each divers, a record was made of his medical history, diving experiences and frequencies of bends attacks. The clinical examination included blood pressure, body weight, a chest radiograph and routine checks of the shoulders, hips and knees, but an X-ray examination extended to the spines, ankles, elbows when symptoms existed. The results were as follow: l. Out of 256 divers, 113 (44.2%) had bone lesions, seventy-five traditional divers (60.5%) had bone lesions out of 125 divers, but naval divers, only thirty eight (28.8%) of 132 had such lesions. 2. Divers bone lesion incidence is increased with diving experience especially over 10 years. 3. The most frequent bone lesions occured in the upper end of the humerus, the upper end of the femur, the lower end of the femur and proximal tibia. 4. The most frequent divers bone lesions in X-ray was dense areas (Bl). 5. There was a high incidence (93.1%) in man with a history of the bends and significantly relate between the sites of the bends and those of the lesions. 6. Divers bone lesions incidence was increased with the length of diving experiences, diving depth, diving time, ages and with bends experiences.

A Study of Lumbar Spinal Canal Using Computerized Axial Tomogram in Korean Adults / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Appreciation of the normal variation of anterior and posterior diameter of the lumbar spinal canal under computerized axial tomogram may throw very important value on the diagnosis and treatment in lumbar spinal problems. The authers have measured the diameter of the lumbar spinal canal using EMI scanner CT 5005. The data was first based on the study of two cadaver lumbar spine and then the study of 268 normal Korean adults male 185, and female 83. The results were summerized as follows. 1. The diameter of the osseous segment was more narrow than articular segment in normal lumbar spinal canal, 2. The shape of lumbar spinal canal was oval in upper lumbar. but became triangular going down to the lower lumbar. There was no difference of diameter in sex. 4. The average diameter of anterior and posterior spinal canal was; L1 16.53± 0.18, L2 16.23± 0.215, L3 15.42± 0.26, L4 15.57± 0.43 and l% 17.7± 1.63mm respectively. 5. The average diameter of transverse spinal canal was; L1 23.31± 0.18, L2 23.76± 0.28, L3 24.78± 0.345, L4 26.07± 0.605 and L5 29.31± 1.19mm respectively. 6. It was more accurate to check out the pathology of the lumbar spinal canal using coinputerized axial tomogram than other method previously used.

A Case of Congenital Atlanto-Occipital Fusion: One case report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

A cases is reported of congenital atlanto-occipital fusion in a 12-years-old girl. The lesion was treated by occipito-cervical arthrodesis by iliac bone grafting with wiring. The congenital atlanto-occipital fusion has not progressed in this 2 years of observation. This is presented with a review of literature.