Effects of Prolotherapy on Medial Collateral Ligament Bursitis of the Knee Joint Identified with High Resolution Ultrasound / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Medial knee joint pain is a common problem in the field of orthopedics. In these patients, a high resolution ultrasound examination can reveal medial collateral ligament (MCL) bursitis, meniscal cyst, degeneration changes to the MCL and meniscal protrusion etc. Prolotherapy is effective in these patients. The author performed prolotherapy for MCL bursitis of the knee joint, and confirmed the disappearance of the bursitis using high resolution ultrasound.

MMPI Profile in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: The causative pathology of chronic low back pain cannot be defined in many patients. To evaluate the relations between psychoneurotic status and chronic low back pain, the authors surveyed Minnesota Multiphasic Personal Inventory (MMPI) in the patients with chronic low back pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1997 to December 1998, questionaire including MMPI were given to the patients who visited our Department for chronic (>6 weeks) low back pain. 50 patients (33 male, 17 female) completed MMPI. The mean age was 33.4 years (range 17-55) . MMPI scores were evaluated in two ways for each individual, mean scores of each clinical scale and two code method. Then mean scores were compared according to sex, radiating pain, radiologic abnormalities. RESULTS: In total 50 patients, three scales showed mean score over 55. Those were Hs:59.1 +/- 10.3, D:55.4 +/- 11.2 and Hy: 59.0 +/- 10.8. No significant differences were observed between the groups divided according to the sex, radiating pain, radiologic abnormalities. The two code method revealed that at least one of the neurotic triad (Hy, Hs, D) ranked within the highest two in 46 (92%) patients. CONCLUSION: It seemed that large proportion of patients with chronic low back pain had psychological tendency to hypochondriasis and/or depression and/or hysteria. MMPI seemed to be one of the useful methods in evaluation of psychogenic factors in chronic low back pain patients without definite organic pathology.

Lumbar Disc Herniation with Cauda Equina Syndrome after Self Traction Therapy: A Case Report / 대한척추외과학회지

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective case report of lumbar disc herniation with cauda equina syndrome after self traction therapy. OBJECTIVES: Documentation of clinical significance and manifestations of disc herniation with cauda equina syndrome as one of the complications after self traction therapy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Various conservative managements of acute low back pain in adults such as traction, spine manipulation therapy(SMT), and exercise therapy may produce harmful complications, especially when performed by non-professional therapists. Recently, reports of complication from SMT are increasing, however, understanding of biomechanism and natural history of traction, SMT, and exercise therapy are still poor. Therefore background information on the possible complications from their management is essential for physicians. METHOD: A case of acute cauda equina syndrome after self traction therapy in a 41 year-old man. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed severe compression of cauda equina by a huge mass. Emergency lumbar laminectomy was performed and all the compressing mass was removed. The mass was proven to be prolapsed disc of nearly whole nucleus amount and scanty nucleus was found within the disc space. RESULT: Acute low back pain and radiating pain disappeared immediately after operation. And neurologic deficits began to improve after postoperative 1 week. At the 15 month follow-up, the patient had recovered fully except minimal paresthesia on the right foot. CONCLUSION: More attentions to the possibility and clinical features of this complication seemed to be needed to the clinicians and therapists who do conservative management for the low back problems, especially SMT, traction, exercise therapy etc.