Usefulness of K-Point Injection for the Nonspecific Neck Pain in So-Called K-Point Syndrome

BACKGROUND: Shoichi Kokubun introduced his successful experience with local anesthetic injection at the occipital insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in K-point syndrome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of K-point injection and investigate factors affecting treatment results. METHODS: K-point injection was performed in 58 patients with K-point syndrome at Yeungnam University Medical Center. The syndrome was associated with cervical whiplash injury in 10 patients and was of nonspecific origin in the rest. One milliliter of 2% lidocaine mixed with 1 milliliter of dexamethasone was injected in 50 patients and 2 milliliters of 1% lidocaine alone in the rest. Initially, the severity of local tenderness at the K-point and other tender points was examined and the degree of immediate pain relief effect was assessed within 1 hour after injection. Early effect within 1 month after the injection and current effect were evaluated in 27 patients using a modified Kim's questionnaire with regard to the duration of improvement, degree of improvement in pain and daily living activities, and satisfaction. RESULTS: Of the total 58 patients, 44 (75.8%) apparently had immediate pain relief after K-point injection. The only factor associated with successful immediate pain relief was the whiplash injury associated with traffic accident (TA). The early pain control effect was associated with the immediate effect. The current effect was associated with the early effect alone. Satisfaction with the K-point injection was related to early successful pain relief. CONCLUSIONS: K-point injection would be useful for early pain relief in nonspecific neck pain syndrome so called K-point syndrome, but not for current pain relief. Especially, it was very effective for early pain control in the whiplash injury associated with TA.

Significance of Coronal Proset Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Detect Hidden Zone of the Mid-Zone Stenosis in the Lumbar Spine and Morphometric Analysis of the Mid-Zone Stenosis

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective exploratory imaging study. PURPOSE: To investigate the significance of the coronal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using Proset technique to detect the hidden zone in patients with mid-zone stenosis by comparing with conventional axial and sagittal MRI and to explore the morphologic characteristic patterns of the mid-zone stenosis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Despite advancements in diagnostic modalities such as computed tomography and MRI, stenotic lesions under the pedicle and pars interarticularis, also called the mid-zone, are still difficult to definitely detect with the conventional axial and sagittal MRI due to its inherited anatomical peculiarity. METHODS: Of 180 patients scheduled to undergo selective nerve root block, 20 patients with mid-zone stenosis were analyzed using MRI. Characteristic group patterns were also explored morphologically by comparing MRI views of each group after verifying statistical differences between them. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to classify morphological characteristic groups based on three-dimensional radiologic grade for stenosis at all three zones. RESULTS: At the mid-zone, the stenosis of grade 2 or more was found in 14 cases in the coronal image,13 cases in the sagittal image, and 9 cases in the axial image (p<0.05). Especially, mid-zone stenosis was not detected in six of 20 cases at the axial images. At the entrance and exit-zone, coronal image was also associated with more accurate detection of hidden zone compared to other views such as axial and sagittal images. After repeated statistical verification, the morphological patterns of hidden zone were classified into 5 groups: 6 cases in group I; 1 case in group II; 4 cases in group III; 7 cases in group IV; and 2 cases in group V. CONCLUSIONS: Coronal MRI using the Proset technique more accurately detected hidden zone of the mid-zone stenosis compared to conventional axial and sagittal images.

Comparison of Difference in Hematologic and Hemodynamic Outcomes between Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty and Revision of Infected Total Knee Arthroplasty

PURPOSE: This study is to identify preoperative cautions for revision of infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by understanding the differences in hematologic and hemodynamic changes between primary TKA and revision of infected TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 40 patients in each of the two groups: one group with patients who underwent TKA and the other group with patients who underwent revision of infected TKA. All patients matched for age and body mass index. The following data were compared between the groups: changes in blood pressure, variations in hemoglobin level, amount of postoperative blood loss and transfused blood, incidence of blood transfusion, white blood cell (WBC) count, albumin level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and liver enzyme level. RESULTS: The hemoglobin levels, transfusion rate, and the amount of blood loss were significantly higher in the revision group (p=0.012). In both groups, CRP reached the highest level on the 3rd postoperative day but it was normalized 2 weeks postoperatively; however, the revision TKA group showed a greater tendency to normalization (p=0.029). There were significant differences between the groups in ESR, WBC, blood pressure, and changes in liver enzyme levels. CONCLUSIONS: Revision of infected TKA results in greater hemodynamic variations than primary TKA. Therefore, more efforts should be made to identify pre- and postoperative hemodynamic changes and hematologic status.

Multiple Stress Fractures Related to Low-dose Adefovir Dipivoxil Treatment in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Case Report

Stress fractures typically result from repeated abnormal mechanical loading to the bones. In particular, multiple stress fractures may occur in patients with systemic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, or osteoarthritis. Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV), a nucleotide analogue of adenosine monophosphate, very rarely causes severe hypophosphatemia when using a low dosage of 10 mg daily for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. To the best of our knowledge, in English literature, this is the first report of multiple stress fractures in a chronic hepatitis B patient who has been treated with a low dosage of ADV. We think it is important to consider that use of ADV in a patient with chronic hepatitis B could be a risk factor for stress fractures.

Non-Operative Treatment of Nonunion

No abstract available.

Comparison of the Modified Transtibial Technique, Anteromedial Portal Technique and Outside-in Technique in ACL Reconstruction

PURPOSE: To compare clinical and radiographic results of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using modified transtibial technique (mTT), anteromedial (AM) portal technique and outside-in (OI) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2007 to December 2012, ACL reconstruction was performed using the mTT, AM portal technique and OI technique in 20 patients each. Anteroposterior and rotational stability were assessed using the GNRB arthrometer and pivot-shift test. Femoral tunnel obliquity was measured on the anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. RESULTS: Tegner score, Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee score, pivot-shift test were improved at final follow-up in all three groups. However, statistical difference was not shown. Side-to-side difference in GNRB arthrometer was average of 1.4 mm, 1.0 mm and 0.9 mm in mTT, AM and OI group, showing the signicant difference between mTT and AM/OI groups (p<0.001). The mean femoral tunnel obliquity was 56.4degrees in the mTT group, 39.4degrees in the AM group and 33.6degrees in the OI group, showing significant intergroup difference (p<0.001). It showed the significant difference among three groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical results were improved in all three groups. Femoral tunnel obliquity in AM and OI were more horizontal on the coronal plane. They are thought to have more benefits in oblique positioning of the grafted ACL in rotational stability; however, there was no significant difference among three techniques in pivot-shift test to assess the rotational stability in this study.