ABSTRACT
Human femora obtained from a cadaver of a 70-year-old man were examined by means of bone histometry, image-analysis on X-ray radiographs and a mechanical strength test in order to investigate the effects of disuse on the femora. The patient had been bedfast for seven months until his death because of an amputation of the left lower leg due to a diabetic intractable ulcer on the foot caused by a burn. Other detail records of the medical and the life-style history were also examined.<BR>A marked atrophy of the muscles of the hip and thigh was observed on the amputated side. The macroscopic shape and proportion of the femora were not significantly different between both sides. The results of bending strength test at the mid shaft, disclosed a marked mechanical fragility on the amputated side. The cortical bone area in the shaft showed no significant difference between both sides. However, the degree of bone loss was more pronounced at the anterior region of both shafts. The trabecular bone at the femoral head showed a marked atrophy on the amputated side, especially at the principal compressive group of the trabecular bone. This atrophy was thought to be due to the absence of the compressive stress because of the disuse caused by the amputation. A trabecular bone atrophy was also observed on the normal side and its degree of atrophy was greater than that of agematched values. The multiple systemic factors such as the diabetes and the bedfast condition might had influenced on the bone metabolism in this case, therefore the careful examination of the systemic conditions was required to disclose the effects of local mechanical conditions on the bone metabolism.
ABSTRACT
The physical work load of farmers and dust conditions in the harvesting process of chrysanthemums were investigated for two households (seven workers for A and three for B household, respectively) at mid March in 1984.<BR>The total working hours a day of each household were 3225 min (460 min as average per a worker) for A and 1954 min (652 min) for B, being allotted more times to males than females. However, all of the house keeping hours were carried out only by females.<BR>The intensity of each working load of farmers was not so heavy, as “light” and “moderately heavy” by Christesen's criteria and energy expenditure a day was calculated 2895-3604 kcal for males and 2155-2295 kcal for females.<BR>In this working process farmers were enforced to keep careful handling with chrysanthemums and fixed body posture for 4 to 6 hours a day. Particulary, the working posture of sorting and bundling chrysanthemums may cause over strained load to the muscle and joint of the lower back and legs.<BR>The dust concentrations of the sorting room were not so high. However, the farmers were exposed a large quantity of cilia of chrysanthemum leaves, calculated 37-259 pieces/cm<SUP>2</SUP> on the slide grass a day. The numbers of cilia varied with amounts of handling chrysathemums.<BR>It was suggested that the cilia of chrysanthemums may be the most important allergen to the immediate type of allergy of the chrysanthemum growers.
ABSTRACT
Serum creatine kinase (CK) activity and myoglobin (Mb) level showed biphasic changes due to transient weight training. The first peak appeared within one day and the second peak appeared within several days after training.<BR>We investigated the characteristics of each peak by measuring the total CK and CK isoenzymes (CK-MM, -MB, -BB) activities.<BR>The results were as follows:<BR>1) The first peak of Mb level appeared sooner than that of total CK activity. In two untrained subject, the second peak of total CK activity and Mb level were higher than the first peak.<BR>2) The CK activity within four hours after training was that of CK-MM. CK-MB and -BB activities did not appear immediately after training, but they appeared within one day after training. CK-MB activity showed the highest value on the fifth day, and CK-BB activity was highest on the seventh day. Appearance of CK-BB activity was more apparent in the untrained than in the trained subjects.<BR>3) The mean ratio of CK-MB activity to total CK activity was 5.3 % on the fifth day, and that of CK-BB activity was 2.9 % on the seventh day. These ratios were the highest among ratios in the post-training period.<BR>It is suggested that the first peak represents a transient enzyme leakage into the blood stream, as the result of damaged muscles, especially in untrained subjects, while the second peak which appeared within several days after training represents, at least to some extent, the participation of ontogenetic muscle regeneration.