• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.763-771
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• 2000

Objectives : Thoracolumbar burst fractures(TBLF) result in not only compressive deformity of vertebral body but also spinal cord compression by bony fragments. Many thoracolumbar burst fractures demand both anterior decompression and intervertebral fusion. Most of spinal surgeons use anterior instrumentation for anteior intervertebral bony fusion. The use of Z-plate has been increased recently, however there has been only a few reports regarding its clinical long-term strength. We studied nineteen patients with TBLF to find out the long-term stability of Z-plate. Methods : We have operated 19 patients from March 1996 to August 1998. They were treated with anterior decompression through either a transthoracic, retroperitoneal extrapleural or retroperitoneal approach. Retropulsed bony fragments were removed completely by corpectomy. Iliac bone graft was used for interbody fusion in all of the cases. They were evaluated by plain X-ray films including flexion and extention lateral films. Cobbs angle was used to evaluate kyphotic and lateral wedging deformity. Results : Burst fractured sites were T11 in two, three T12, nine L1, and five L2. Mean follow-up duration was fifteen months. Preoperative average kyphotic angle was 23.7 degree. Immediate postoperative kyphotic angle was 10.2 degree. Follow-up resluts of average kyphotic angles revealed 14 degrees. Four patients(21%), including two spinal 3-column injury, showed increasement of kyphotic angle more than 5 degree or breakage of intrumentation. Two patients showed the difference of kyphotic angle more than 3 degree. Five patients(26%) revealed lateral wedging deformity more than 3 degrees. Postoperative complications were two meralgia parestheticas, one pulmonary atelectasis and two donor site infections. Four of the eight patients, who initially showed incomplete spinal cord deficits, were nerologically improved by Frankel's grade. Conclusion : Z-plate fixation and iliac bone graft after anterior decompression in thoracolumbar burst fractures is a safe and easy method. Immediate postoperative results revealed excellent correction of posttraumatic kyphosis, but long-term follow-up evalution showed insufficient strength. Therefore we believe that use of Z-plate should be carefully decided, especially in the case of large lumbar fracture or 3-column injury.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.427-436
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• 1998

Thirty two cases of patient with Thoracolumbar Compression Fracture were treated and observed clinically from November, 1997, to August, 1998, in the Dept. of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Chon-an Oriental Medical Hospital, Taejon University. The results were obtained as follows; 1. The distribution of sex was male 6 cases(18.7%), female 26 cases(81.3%) and the distribution of age was seventies 17 cases(53.2%) the most. 2. The distribution of the causes was Slip-down 17 cases(53.2%) the most. 3. The distribution of the period before admission was within a week 19 cases(59.4%) the most. 4. The distribution of treatment duration in descending order: Under a week and two weeks under four weeks was the most number in 11 cases(59.4%) each. 5. The distribution of the injured level was L1 body 15 cases(18.3%) the most. 6. In the distribution of grading clinical severity on admission, the most cases were Gr.IV(18cases, 56.3%). 7. In the distribution of clinical symptoms on admission, 30 patients(21.9%) complained lower back pain and disturbance in turning over. 8. In the distribution of treatment result, the most cases(18 cases, 56.3%) was good. 9. The distribution of treatment duration according to the clinical grade on admission was as follows: Two weeks under four weeks was the most number in 8 cases(25%) in the group of Gr.IV, under two weeks was the most number in 6 cases(18.7%) in the group of Gr.III, and under four weeks was the most number in 2 cases(6.2%) in the group of Gr.II. 10. The distribution of treatment result according to the clinical grade on admission was as follows: Good was the most number in 10 cases(31.2%) in the group of Gr.IV, 6 cases(10.7%) in the group of Gr.III and 2 cases(6.2%) in the group of Gr.II. 11. The distribution of treatment result according to the treatment duration was as follows: Good was the most number in 4 cases(12.5%) under two weeks, 6cases(18.7%) two weeks under four weeks, and 6 cases(18.7%) four weeks under six weeks.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.907-915
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• 2001

Objective : Percutaneous vertebroplasty is often complicated by the presence of multiple fractures or non-localizing pain in the patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The purpose of this study is to estimate the value of preoperative radiologic studies in the localization of symptomatic vertebrae and to determine the factors which can influence on the clinical results. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiologic data of 57 vertebrae in 30 patients underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Inclusion criteria was severe pain(McGill-Melzack score 3, 4 or 5) associated with the acute vertebral fractures and absence of spinal nerve root or cord compression sign. Acute symptomatic vertebral fracture was determined by the presence of signal change on MR images or increased uptake on whole body bone scan. Results : Pain improvement was obtained immediately in all patients and favorable result was sustained in 26 patients(86.7%) during the mean follow-up duration of 4.7 months(5 complete pain relief, 21 marked pain relief). Those who underwent vertebroplasty for all acute symptomatic vertebrae had significantly better clinical result than those who did not. Further vertebral collapse and eventual bursting fracture occurred in 1 vertebra which showed intradiskal leakage of bone cement and disruption of cortical endplate on postoperative CT scan. Conclusion : Preoperative MR imaging and whole body bone scan are very useful in determining the symptomatic vertebrae, especially in the patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fractures. To obtain favorable clinical result, the careful radiologic evaluation as well as clinical assessment is required. Control of PMMA volume seems to be the most critical point for avoiding complications.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.173-179
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• 2001

Purpose : To assess therapeutic effects of percutaneous polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) vertebroplasty on the pain caused by osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar vertebral body compression fractures in a large scale of a prospective clinical design, and to determine clinical factors influencing its therapeutic effects. Methods : A prospective clinical study was carried out in 349 vertebral levels of 159 patients between April 1998 and July 1999. The compression fractures were confirmed with bone scan and spine CT, and bone marrow density was measured. Visual analogue scale(VAS) score was used for pre- and post-operative assessments of the pain. All 159 patients were assessed immediately after surgery, and 140 patients of them were followed-up for about 6 months in average. Results : Partial and complete pain relief was sustained immediately after operation in 73%, through follow-up period in 88% of the patients. Pain relief was not proportional to the amount of PMMA or the rate of increase in the height of the compressed vertebral body. It appears that 3 to 6cc of PMMA was proper enough to sustain pain relief. Better clinical improvement was achieved in the patients treated within 6 months after occurrence of vertebral body fracture. The most frequent surgical complication was epidural leakage of PMMA, and the most serious complication was extravertebral leakage into the paravertebral muscles, which appeared to exert the worst influence on the outcome. However, surgery was not required in these patients. Conclusion : Therapeutic effects of PMMA percutaneous vertebroplasty on osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures were confirmed in a relatively large scale of prospective clinical study. It appears that good outcome can be achieved in patients treated within 6 months after fracture, treated each level with 3 to 6cc of PMMA in amount. without serious complications.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.149-169
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to statistically analyze patients hospitalized for thoracolumbar compression fractures at Daejeon University Daejeon Korean Medicine Hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021. Methods: A total of 62 patients were analyzed through electronic medical records in this study. The extracted data was analyzed using IBM SPSS ver.27.0. Results: 1. Traffic accident patients were more likely to reduce pain by more than half compared to falls and other patients. Patients without spinal disease were more likely to reduce pain by more than half compared to those without. The shorter the absolute bed rest and the longer the hospital stay, the higher the probability of pain reduction by more than half. 2. The duration of pain half-reduction was longer in patients with diabetes than in patients without diabetes. 3. The longer the hospitalization period and the shorter the absolute bed rest period, the less pain was reported upon discharge. Males complained of less pain at discharge than females, and patients without spinal disease complained less than those without. Patients who did not receive absolute bed rest complained of less pain upon discharge than those who did not. Conclusions: This study included patients hospitalized for thoracolumbar compression fractures and showed that etiology, absolute bed rest period, hospitalization period, gender, spinal disease, diabetes statistically affected the degree of pain reduction.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.109-124
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• 2023

Objectives This study aims to find out effect of Korean medicine treatment on managing thoracolumbar compression fractures through retrospective observational study. Methods Among hospitalized patients at the Department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation from January 1st, 2018 to February 28th, 2023, a total of 24 inpatients who were diagnosed with thoracolumbar compression fractures and received Korean medicine treatment were included in this study. Numeric rating scale (NRS) was used for pain assessment and clinical variables such as sex, symptoms, age, thoracolumbar injury classification and severity (TLICS) scores were collected. For subgroup analysis to analyze factors affecting treatment response, we divided patients into responders and non-responders according to NRS change. For statistical analysis, we compared before/after hospitalization and analyzed distinct features between two groups. Results Most of the patients were in their 70s and 83.33% were female. Average hospitalization period was 24.54±11.91 days. All patients had back pain as their chief complaint and only 2 patients received surgeries. In TLICS, only 1 patient got score 6, which represented surgery indication. After Korean medicine treatment, NRS of almost every patient got lower significantly at the time of discharge (3.02±1.93) than admission (5.52±1.95). Comparing two groups, responders had lower NRS at the time of discharge and TLICS score of them were lower than non-responders. Conclusions Our results show that Korean medicine treatment for thoracolumbar compression fractures was effective in reducing pain. There were distinct clinical features such as age, past history, surgeries between those with significant improvement in pain scores and those who did not.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.55-67
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• 2001

Objective : This study was performed to evaluate result of thoracolumbar compression fracture patient treated with Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue(華佗夾脊穴) acupuncture. Methods : This clinical study was carried out 50 cases with thoracolumbar compression fracture, who had been admitted from January, 2000 to February, 2001, in the department of acupuncture and moxibustion, Hanseo University Oriental Medical Hospital. We divided two groups; A group, without using Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue(華佗夾脊穴) acupuncture and the other group is B group, by using Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue(華佗夾脊穴) acupuncture. Results : 1. The distribution of sex and age, 78% were female, and 84% were most above there sixties. 2. In the duration of symptom, the largest group was over 4 weeks. 3. In the distribution of cause, the largest group was "lifting heavy object"(32%) and the next was "slip down"(26%). 4. In the distribution of injured level was L1 body the most(19.6%) and T12 body was the next. 5. In the distribution of clinical symptoms on the admission, the largest group was lumbosacral pain(18%). 6. The result of treatment due to the duration of admission, 17case(34%) was the most above "Fair" during the 2~3 weeks. 7. The result of treatment, Good and Fair were the same in 24case(48%). 8. The duration of treatment was longer in high grade of clinical symptom. 9. B group discharged above good state 60% higher than A group.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2005

Backgrounds: To evaluate the effectiveness of conservative treatment in osteoporotic thoraco-lumbar compression fractures and to identify the factors influencing the progression of compression. Materials and Methods: From January 2003 to October 2004, Patients who were admitted to our hospital for osteoporotic thoraco-lumbar compression fractures were reviewed retrospectively with follow-up more than 12 months (ave. 14.6 months). With simple x-ray lateral view, we evaluate wedge compression ratio (WCR) and kyphotic angle (KA) at initial and final follow-up. We separate the patients into two groups baesed on the amount of progression of vertebral compression and evaluate a relation with BMD, vertebral fracture level, initial WCR, initial KA. All datas were statistically analyzed. Results: An average of T-score was -3.5 and the changes of KA between initial and final follow-up were average $3.5^{\circ}$. Compression of anterior column were progressed to 8.5%. The changes between initial and final WCR in Group I (N=24) was 17.8%, and Group II (N=18) was 3.3%. T-score in group I was -3.4 and group II was -3.8 (p=0.228). vertebral fracture level were 10 T12, 12 L1, 2 L2 in group I; 6 T12, 6 L1, 6 L2 in group II (p=0.156). Initail WCR was 0.74 in group I, 0.63 in group II, and there was statistical difference between two groups(p=0002). Initial kyphotic angle was $13.9^{\circ}$in group I, $16.2^{\circ}$in group II repectively (p=0.392). Conclusion: The conservative treatment with short-term bed rest and early embulation is effective and valuable method to patients who have osteoporotic thoraco-lumbar compression fractures. There was no statistical difference between two groups according to BMD, vertebral fracture level, KA. But in comparison with initail WCR between two groups, there was statistical difference. That means, in the case of small initial compression of anterior column, the progression of compression was bigger than else. In these patients, more strict use of appropriate brace and careful follow-up should be needed.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2010

Excessive oral and maxillofacial bleeding causes upper airway obstruction, bronchotracheal & gastric aspiration and hypovolemic shock. Therefore, the rapid & correct bleeding control is very important for life-saving in the medical emergency room. In spite of the bleeding control methods of the wound suture & direct pressure, the postoperative bleeding can be occurred, because of the presence of various bleeding disorders & postoperative delayed wound infections. The proper care of bleeding disorders & wound infections are very important for the control of the delayed postoperative rebleeding. In spite of these methods, active oral bleeding can be presented by the other causes of head injury. A rare but particularly dangerous sort of bleeding that may have an especial importance to the patient with severe basal skull fracture that damage large vessels and even the cavernous sinus. The occurrence of profuse nasal or oropharyngeal bleeding may arise from damage to the anterior and posterior ethmoidal vessels, but when mixed with brain tissue it is evidence of mortal damage. In this condition, rapid entire oropharyngeal packing is essential for the control of active oral bleeding. This is a case report of rapid rational bleeding control method by much amount of wet gauze packings, in a 44-years-old male patient with active oropharyngeal bleeding by basal skull fractures.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2008

Background: Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can stabilize osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral fractures. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcomes of kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures in cancer patients. Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of 27 cancer patients who were treated with kyphoplasty (55 vertebral bodies) between May 2003 and Feb 2008. The clinical parameters, using a visual analog 10 point scale (VAS) and the mobility scores, as well as consumption of analgesic, were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 week after kyphoplasty. Results: A total 55 cases of thoracic and lumbar kyphoplasties were performed without complications. The mean age of the patients was 66 years. All the patients experienced a significant improvement in their subjective pain and mobility immediately after the procedures. The pain scores (VAS), mobility scores and other functional evaluations using the Oswestry disability score and the SF-36 showed significant differences between the pre- and postoperational conditions. Conclusions: Kyphoplasty is an effective, minimally invasive procedure that can relieve the pain of patients with vertebral compression fractures and these fractures are the result of metastasis.