Alteration of the Patella Tendon Length after Intramedullary Nail in Tibial Shaft Fractures

PURPOSE: To compare and analyze length change of patella tendon after intramedullary nailing of tibial shaft fracture using transtendinous approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two cases were analyzed from December, 1999 to December, 2005. Insall Salvati ratios were estimated. Severity of initial trauma, duration of nail retension, knee function and pain on change of length of patellar tendon was evaluated. RESULTS: Mean duration of nail retention was twenty-two months. The shortening of patella tendon was observed in 25 cases (p0.05, p=0.778). Lysholom score decrease to 89.5. There was no significant difference between the shortening of patellar tendon length and knee pain (p=0.058). CONCLUSION: After intramedullary nailing for closed tibia fracture, shortening of patellar tendon length is observed. That is irrelevant to the fracture type and the duration of nail retension. The shortening of patella tendon length may contribute to decreasing of knee function, but it was no significance of knee pain after intramedullary nailing.

Treatment of Candida Infection after TKA

PURPOSE: We wanted to review the clinical results of staged reimplantation in patients who had candidal infection after total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed five patients who had a candidal prosthetic knee infection, as was assessed by synovial fluid culture. Amphotericin B was intravenously administrated to all five patients during the postoperative period for six weeks and followed for at least twelve months. We carried out two-stage re-implantations with using antifungal agent-impregnated bone cement. Whether or not infection recurred was evaluated according to the symptoms and radiologic and hematologic studies. The clinical results were analyzed on the basis of the range of motion and hospital for special surgery (HSS) score. RESULTS: The final review showed that all of the symptoms disappeared. We could not find any loosening on the radiologic studies and all five patients had normal C-reactive protein values on serological exams. The mean postoperative range of motion was 1degrees (range: 0~5)~99degrees (range: 70~130) and the mean HSS score improved from 49.4 (range: 44~64) points to 73 (range: 65~90) after the re-implantation. CONCLUSION: We successfully controlled five candidal prosthetic knee infections by removing the components in conjunction with using an antifungal- impregnated bone cement and staged re-implantation after a 6 week course of intravenous antifungal drugs.

Airway Obstruction Caused by Soft Tissue Edema during an Anterior Cervical Approach: A Case Report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Anterior approaches to the cervical spine for performing decompression, fusion and/or instrumentation are common and useful methods for treating many conditions, including degenerative diseases. One of the rare, but serious complications of an anterior cervical approach is respiratory insufficiency as a result of upper airway obstruction, which is due to airway narrowing and prevertebral soft tissue swelling. We experienced a case of serious airway obstruction that was caused by soft tissue edema combined with postoperative hematoma after an anterior cervical spine approach. We report here on this case and include a review of the relevant literature.

Usefulness of the Oblique Radiographic View in Ankle Fractures / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: To compare the radiographic evaluations between two radiographic views (AP and lateral views) and four radiographic views (AP, lateral and both oblique views) in ankle fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2000 to June 2002, 60 cases of ankle fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation and its followed up periods were at least 2 years. All cases were classified into three groups according to the method of preoperative radiographic evaluation. Two radiographic views (AP and lateral views) were taken in group A and four radiographic views (AP, lateral and both oblique views) were taken in group B. 12 Cases were evaluated with three dimensional computed tomography (3D CT). Four radiographic views and 3D CT were taken in group C. All cases were classified according to the Danis-Weber and Lauge-Hansen classification. Displacement of fracture fragment of medial, lateral, posterior malleolus and size of fracture fragment of posterior malleous were measured using picture archiving communication system (PACS). RESULTS: Although kappa value between two or four radiographic views were good or excellent in Danis-Weber classification and Lauge-Hansen classification of ankle fractures, the displacements of medial and lateral malleoli were statistically different. Four radiographic views evalulated the degree of displacement of medial and lateral fragments more accurately compared to two radiographic views. CONCLUSION: Four radiographic views will be more useful than two radiographic views to decide the method of treatment and operation considering the displacement of fracture fragment.

Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty of Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures in Pakinsonism Patients

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical outcome and functional result after cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty of displaced neck fracture in parkinsonism patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 12 parkinsonism patients treated by cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty of displaced femur neck fracture from August 1994 to October 2002 were evaluated. Posterolateral approach was performed. Preoperative and postoperative walking ability, activity of daily life and severity of parkinsonism were compared. The effects of parkinsonism on clinical outcome were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The median difference of walking ability was 1 (p=0.001) and that of ADL scale was -3 (p=0.0005). There was no significant change in the severity of parkinsonism (p=0.5), and the severity and duration of parkinsonism were not correlated with postoperative functional status. 7 cases of voiding difficulty, 5 of temporary delirium, and 2 of temporary respiratory insufficiency were noted as general complications. 2 cases of dislocation and 1 of infection were noted as orthopaedic complications. CONCLUSION: In parkinsonism patient, walking ability was worsened, activity was more independent, but severity of parkinsonism was not changed after hemiarthroplasty of displaced femur neck fracture. Orthopaedic surgeons should bear in mind that functional outcome is poor and orthopaedic complication rate high in parkinsonism.

Pseudoaneurysm of Superficial Femoral Artery Following Proximal Femoral Nail Fixation

Pseudoaneurysm of the femoral artery is a rare complication following the fixation of the fracture of proximal femur or protruded bony fragment and reports injuring on superficial femoral artery is very rare compared to deep femoral artery complicated by the insertion of distal interlocking screw. The chance of injuring superficial femoral artery may increase by deep insertion of drill bit or the repetitive arterial pulsation on prominent distal interlocking screw tip during the perioperative period. Authors experienced one case of injury on the superficial femoral artery postoperative 42 hours followed by the use of proximal femoral nail advocated by the AO group recently and would like to call attention upon the possibilities of vessel injury complicated with the use of the distal interlocking screw.

The mucosal adjuvanticity of two nontoxic mutants of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin varies with immunization routes

Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT), which causes a characteristic diarrhea in humans and animals, is a strong mucosal immunogen and has powerful mucosal adjuvant activity towards coadministered unrelated antigens. Here we report the different mucosal adjuvanticity of nontoxic LT derivatives, LTS63Y and LTdelta110/112, generated by immunizing through two different mucosal routes. Intragastric (IG) immunization with Helicobacter pylori urease alone resulted in poor systemic IgG and IgA responses and no detectable local secretory IgA, but IG co-immunization with urease and LTdelta110/112 induced high titers of urease-specific local secretory IgA and systemic IgG and IgA, comparable to those induced by wild-type LT. LTS63Y showed far lower adjuvant activity towards urease than LTdelta110/112 in IG immunization, but was more active than LTdelta110/112 in inducing immune responses to urease by intranasal (IN) immunization. LTdelta110/112 predominantly enhanced the induction of urease-specific IgG1 levels following IG immunization, whereas LTS63Y induced high levels of IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b following IN immunization. In addition, quantitative H. pylori culture of stomach tissue following challenge with H. pylori demonstrated a 90-95% reduction (p < 0.0002) in bacterial burden in mice immunized intranasally with urease using either mutant LT as an adjuvant. These results indicate that the mechanism(s) underlying the adjuvant activities of mutant LTs towards coadmnistered H. pylori urease may differ between the IN and IG mucosal immunization routes.

Development of two novel nontoxic mutants of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin

Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is composed of catalytic A and non-catalytic homo-pentameric B subunits and causes diarrheal disease in human and animals. In order to produce a nontoxic LT for vaccine and adjuvant development, two novel derivatives of LT were constructed by a site-directed mutagenesis of A subunit; Ser63 to Tyr63 in LTS63Y and Glu110, Glu112 were deleted in LT delta 110/112. The purified mutant LTs (mLTs) showed a similar molecular structural complex as AB5 to that of wild LT. In contrast to wild-type LT, mLTs failed to induce either elongation activity, ADP-ribosyltransferase activity, cAMP synthesis in CHO cells or fluid accumulation in mouse small intestine in vivo. Mice immunized with mLTs either intragastrically or intranasally elicited high titers of LT-specific serum and mucosal antibodies comparable to those induced by wild-type LT. These results indicate that substitution of Ser63 to Tyr63 or deletion of Glu110 and Glu112 eliminate the toxicity of LT without a change of AB5 conformation, and both mutants are immunogenic to LT itself. Therefore, both mLTs may be used to develop novel anti-diarrheal vaccines against enterotoxigenic E. coli.