Reappraisal of the predictive factors for postoperative pulmonary complications after general anesthesia / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: As our population in Korea ages, more postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) have recently developed. There have been several studies about the predictive factors for PPC, but any consensus has not been established. In this study, we reappraised the predictive factors for PPC after general anesthesia in a population from Gyeong-ju, which was composed of elderly people. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the incidence and predictive factors for PPC in 84 patients who underwent general anesthesia. We investigated gender, age, height, weight, BMI, smoking, underlying disease, underlying respiratory disease, malignancy, the laboratory findings (hemoglobin, albumin, arterial O2 saturation) and the pulmonary function tests of the patients. RESULTS: 84 patients were initially enrolled into the study, and PPC developed in 31 (36%) patients. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 66.515.1 years-old, so it shows the trend of an aging society. Three predictive factors were revealed that are independently associated with the PPC: site of operation (OR, 8.3), underlying disease (OR, 9.9) and serum albumin (OR, 4.0). CONCLUSIONS: Among the statistically meaningful predictive factors, underlying disease and operation site are well known from previous studies, but the albumin level<3.5 g/dL is also meaningful, which is higher than the previous reference level. It implies that the patient with a albumin level 3.0~3.5 g/dL can be classified into the high risk group. Therefore, we should recognize that it is necessary to apply more strict reference levels in an aging population to reduce the incidence of PPC.

Percutaneous Iliosacral Screw Fixation for Pelvic Ring Injury / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the surgical outcomes of percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation for an unstable pelvic ring injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients (20 cases) who were classified as having a Tile classification type B or C pelvic ring injury. Anterior fixation was added in 17 cases to maintain the stability of the anterior pelvic structre. The radiological results were compared using Slatis and Karaharju's method and the clinical results before and after surgery were compared using Moon's method between before and after surgery. RESULTS: The outcomes of the radiological evaluation were excellent in 19 cases, good in 1. The outcomes of the clinical evaluation were excellent in 7 cases, good in 12, and poor in 1. There were similar clinical and radiological results regardless of the number of screws. One patient complained of mild discomfort in the screw entry site. Nonunion developed in one case. However, there was no lloss of fixation observed. No neurological or vascular complications were encountered during the procedure. CONCLUSION: Satisfactory outcomes could be obtained without serious complications after percutaneous iliosacral screws in the unstable pelvic ring fractures. One iliosacral screw fixation provided for the stability in a pelvic ring injury in association with anterior fixation.

Pathoanatomical Factors Responsible for Femoral Shortening in Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contributions made by pathoanatomical factors responsible for femoral shortening in Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD), and to devise a method of reducing the amount of residual shortening based on a better understanding of its pathoanatomy and developmental pattern in LCPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured shortening of three anatomical components, namely, the femoral epiphysis, neck, and diaphysis on the teleoroentgenograms of 106 LCPD patients, comprised of 35 children with active disease, 24 in the healing stage, and 47 at skeletal maturity. RESULTS: The proportional contributions made by these 3 anatomical components to residual shortening at skeletal maturity were; 20% by the epiphysis (epiphyseal flattening), 53% by the neck (physeal growth retardation), and 27% by the diaphysis (underuse atrophy). These contributions differed according to disease stage and shortening severity. Mean diaphyseal shortening was 3.9 mm at skeletal maturity, but this increased to 5.8 mm when only patients with severe shortening (20 mm or more) were included. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that diaphyseal shortening is likely to be minimized by the implementation of limb exercise programs.

Rising Incidence of Hip Fracture in Gwangju City and Chonnam Province, Korea

The purpose of study was to determine the incidence of hip fracture in 2001, to compare this with that of 1991, and to identify possible causes of change. Patients aged 50 yr or more living in Gwangju City and Chonnam Province, Korea, and who sustained a fracture of the hip during 2001 were investigated. Only patients who were admitted to hospitals for primary treatment of the first hip fracture were selected. There were 1,152 patients. A comparison of fracture incidences for 1991 and 2001 showed considerable increase during the 10-yr period. The total annual number of hip fractures rose from 247 in 1991 to 1,152 in 2001 and the fracture incidence also increased remarkably from 3.3 persons per 10,000 population in 1991 to 13.3 in 2001, representing a 4-fold increase over 10-yr. The reasons for this rising trend of hip fracture were not fully explained. However, an increase in the elderly population, an increase in osteoporosis, and an increase in injurious falls could partly account for the observed increase.

Comparison of High Tibial Osteotomy: Opening versus Closing Wedge Osteotomy / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and radiological results of an opening wedge osteotomy for an osteoarthritic knee, and compared these results with those of a closing wedge osteotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 27 patients (29 cases) with an opening wedge osteotomy (Group A) and 30 patients (30 cases) with a closing wedge osteotomy (Group B). The radiological results obtained regarding the degree of osteoarthritis, femur-tibia angle, tibial alignment, posterior tibial slope and patellar height using the Insall-Salvati's method were analyzed. HSS score was used for evaluation of the clinical results. RESULTS: Preoperatively, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the degree of osteoarthritis, the femur-tibia angle, tibial alignment, posterior tibial slope, and patellar height. Two years after surgery, the femur-tibia angle and tibial alignment were significantly improved to 7.7degrees valgus and 1.3degrees valgus, respectively, and the patellar height was not changed significantly in group A. Similar degrees RESULTs were obtained in group B. The tibial posterior slope increased from 3degrees to 10.7degrees in group A and decreased from 4degrees to 3.7degrees in group B. Clinically, the HSS score was improved from 74 points preoperatively to 93 points 2 years postoperatively in the opening group, and was similar to the improvement observed in the closing group. The complications included 1 delayed union in the opening group, and 3 cases of superficial peroneal nerve palsy and 1 delayed union in the closing group. CONCLUSION: An opening wedge osteotomy is a relatively simple and safe procedure that gives similar radiological and clinical outcomes to a closing wedge osteotomy, without peroneal nerve palsy. However, surgeons should take care in preventing an increase in the tibial posterior slope.

Proximal Half Corpectomy and Fusion of One Motion Segment in Denis Type B Burst Fracture of Thoracolumbar and Lumbar Spine / 대한척추외과학회지

STUDY DESIGN: The authors is to report the clinical and radiological results of proximal half corpectomy with one motion segment fusion in Denis type B burst fracture. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of proximal half corpectomy in Denis type B burst fracture of thethoracolumbar and lumbar spine. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: For the operative management of burst fracture, various mothods including posterior ligamentotaxis, posterolateral decompression, anterior decompression or combined were reported. Among the methods, anterior decompression by the corpectomy of fractured vertebral body and fusion with or without instrumentation is the one of the widely accepted method of treatment. However, anterior decompression by excision of whole vertebral body has the disadvantage of high complication rate due to the instability from the large defect and long length of bone graft. Moreover, two motion segments have to be sacrified, which is very important especially in thoracolumbar and lumbar area. Material and METHODS: 43 cases operated from 1989 to 1996 and the minimum follow up period was two years and compared with that of 48 cases who were treated by total corpectomy and two motion segment fashion from 1986 to 1989. RESULTS: Solid bony union was obtained in 43 cases within 6 months and no back pain was complained in 39 cases (93%) at last follow up. There was no significant difference between two groups in correction of anterior vertebral height and kyphotic angle. Length of bone graft was 3.0cm in half corpectomy group and was 6.3cm in total corpectomy group. Hardward breakage or graft collapse was not observed in proximal half corpectomy, while there were 5 cases in total corpectomy. CONCLUSION: Proximal half corpectomy and fusion of one motion segment in Denis type B burst fracture is believed to be a successful method which can minimize the fused level, increase the stability, preserve motion segment and reduce the complication.