Regional Variation in the Incidence of Diabetes-Related Lower Limb Amputations and Its Relationship with the Regional Factors / 대한족부족관절학회지

PURPOSE: To investigate the spatial distribution of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and analyze the relationship between the spatial distribution of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and regional factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was performed based on the data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, in 2016. The unit of analysis was the administrative districts of city·gun·gu. The dependent variable was the age- and sex-adjusted incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and the regional variables were selected to represent two aspects: socioeconomic factors, and health and medical factors. Along with traditional ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR) was applied for spatial analysis. RESULTS: The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputation varied according to region. OLS regression showed that the incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputation had significant relationships with the health and medical factors (number of healthcare institution and doctors per 100,000 population). In GWR, the effects of regional factors were not consistent. CONCLUSION: The spatial distribution of the incidence of diabetes-related lower limb amputations and the effects of regional factors varied according to the regions. The regional characteristics should be considered when establishing health policy related to diabetic foot care.

Prognostic Indicators in Tibial Shaft Fractures ; Serum Creatine Kinase Acticity / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Serum creatine phosphokinase(CPK) levels were measured serially in 20 adults with closed tibial shaft fractures, CPK activity increased significantly after fracture(p < 0.01). High energy and delayed healing fractures had significantly higher levels of CPK than low energy and normally healing fractures, respectively. Thus, CPK determinations could be used to assess the severity of trauma and possible prognosis of the healing in tibial shaft fractures.