• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.331-336
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• 2014

Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in sagittal spinopelvic alignment between lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (DSPL) and degenerative spinal stenosis (DSS). Methods : Seventy patients with DSPL and 72 patients with DSS who were treated with lumbar interbody fusion surgery were included in this study. The following spinopelvic parameters were measured on whole spine lateral radiographs in a standing position : pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), lumbar lordosis angle (LL), L4-S1 segmental lumbar angle (SLL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), and sagittal vertical axis from the C7 plumb line (SVA). Two groups were subdivided by SVA value, respectively. Normal SVA subgroup and positive SVA subgroup were divided as SVA value (<50 mm and ${\geq}50mm$). Spinopelvic parameters/PI ratios were assessed and compared between the groups. Results : The PI of DSPL was significantly greater than that of DSS (p=0.000). The SVA of DSPL was significantly greater than that of DSS (p=0.001). In sub-group analysis between the positive (34.3%) and normal SVA (65.7%), there were significant differences in LL/PI and SLL/PI (p<0.05) in the DSPL group. In sub-group analysis between the positive (12.5%) and normal SVA (87.5%), there were significant differences in PT/PI, SS/PI, LL/PI and SLL/PI ratios (p<0.05) in the DSS group. Conclusion : Patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis have the propensity for sagittal imbalance and higher pelvic incidence compared with those with degenerative spinal stenosis. Sagittal imbalance in patients with DSPL is significantly correlated with the loss of lumbar lordosis, especially loss of segmental lumbar lordosis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.3 s.54
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• pp.565-577
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• 1996

This study was conducted to evaluate the association of work posture with cervical spine abnormality toward 106 microwave-oven assemblers. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain a general characteristics and a work history of workers. The posture of neck and shoulder joint of workers were measured with video tape recording and the simple X-ray of cervical spine was checked-up to observe the X-ray abnormality including degenerative change, curvature abnormality, disc space narrowing or disc canal narrowing. The result were as follows. 1. The prevalence of degenerative change among cervicobrachial disorder workers was 44.3% (47 persons), curvature abnormality was 43.4%(46 persons), disc space narrowing was 21.7%(23 persons), and disc canal narrowing was 21.7%(23 persons). 2. The prevalence of degenerative change at cervical spine was increased with the degree of neck flexion(flexed versus neutral, odds ratio [OR]=2.7), the total work posture of neck(mild or severe awkward versus neutral ; OR=1.2, 3.4). 3. The prevalence of degenerative change at cervical spine was increased with the degree of the right shoulder flexion, the heaviness of the materials carried by the right hand and the degree of awkwardness at the total work posture of right shoulder(p<0.05). 4. There was no evidence of association between curvature abnormality, disc space narrowing, disc canal narrowing and work posture. In conclusion the awkward work posture was related with degenerative change of cervical spine among microwave oven assembling workers and the further study in these field must be made to prove the association objectively.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to find out the characteristics of intervertebral disc changes and relative factors of the spondylolisthesis patients in fifties by type of spondylolisthesis. Methods : We investigated 69 cases of patients who visited one Korean traditional medicine hospital and were diagnosed as spondylolisthesis on L-spine X-ray and L-spine magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). We selected 37 lytic spondylolisthesis patients and 32 degenerative spondylolisthesis patients. We analysed the relativity between the numbers of changed discs, types of changed disc, locations of nerve compression and types of spondylolisthesis. Results : 1. The number of changed discs increase in lytic type, but there is no statistically significant difference. 2. Bulging disc is the dominant type of disc change. There is no significant difference between two types. 3. Both foraminal type was shown dominantly in lytic spondylolisthesis, diffuse type in degenerative spondylolisthesis by the analysis of the location of the nerve compression. But the symptoms of patients and dermatome did not match in most of the cases. Conculsions : The direction of nerve compression is different while the disc changing aspects are similar in both types. In several spondylolisthesis patients in fifties, symptoms of patient are related to degeneration of vertebrae, not to the type of spondylolisthesis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.320-324
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• 2021

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common degenerative spinal condition that can have unpredictable improvement and worsening of symptoms which include low back pain, radiating pain, claudication, and degenerative lumbar scoliosis affecting quality of life. In this study, thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) was used as a conservative treatment for LSS in combination with complex Korean medicine treatments (acupuncture, herbal medicines, and physical therapy). The treatment was evaluated using the numerical rating scale, walking distance and duration, and inclination of radiological lumbar scoliosis according to antalgic posture. TEA was performed 27 times between June 8, 2020, and March 16, 2021. The patient showed improvement in numerical rating scale score from 7 to 2, pain-free walking distance from 10 m to 900 m, and scoliosis inclination following treatment. The findings of this study suggest that TEA may be helpful in the treatment of LSS.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2015

Objective : To comparatively investigate the expression of several integrins in specimens of human bone metastases and degenerative bone tissue. Methods : Degenerative cancellous tissue was obtained from a sample of human degenerative spine. Thirteen human specimens were obtained from metastatic spine tumors, whose primary cancer was colon cancer (n=3), hepatocellular cancer (n=3), lung cancer (n=4), and breast cancer (n=3). The expression of vimentin and integrins ${\alpha}v$, ${\beta}1$, and ${\beta}3$ was assessed in metastatic and degenerative specimens by immunohistochemistry and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results : Immunohistochemical staining showed that vimentin and integrin ${\alpha}v$ was broadly expressed in all tissues examined. By contrast, integrin ${\beta}1$ was weakly expressed only in 38.4% (5/13) of tissues. Integrin ${\beta}3$ was consistently negative in all cases examined. qRT-PCR analysis showed that vimentin gene expression was higher in all metastatic specimens, as compared to degenerative bone. The gene expression of integrin ${\alpha}v$ in breast specimen was significantly higher than others (p=0.045). The gene expression of integrin ${\beta}1$ was also higher in all metastatic specimens than in degenerative bone tissue. The gene expression of integrin ${\beta}3$ was variable. Conclusion : Spinal metastatic tumors have mesenchymal characteristics such as increased expression of vimentin. The increased expression of integrin ${\alpha}v$ and ${\beta}1$ in spine metastatic tumors suggests that adhesive molecules such as integrin may have implications for the prevention of spine metastasis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1193-1199
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• 2001

Objectives : The goal of operation for degenerative lumbar diseases is to relieve radiculopathy and low back pain and to prevent further degeneration. The authors analyzed the surgical results of posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF) and $0^{\circ}$ fixation to evaluate the proper treatment policy in spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. Material and Methods : The authors performed PLIF on 92 patients and $0^{\circ}$ fixation on 138 patients with spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. We retrospectively studied clinical outcomes and subjective satisfaction of these patients by several criteria such as visual analog scale(VAS), Prolo's economic and functional outcome scale, medication usage after operation and questionaire for overall outcome. Result : Pre- and postoperative VAS on back pain and leg pain showed decrease of pain from 6.5, 6.7 to 2.2, 2.4 in PLIF group and from 7.0, 7.2 to 2.5, 2.7 in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Excellent and good outcomes on Prolo's scale were 81.5% in PLIF group and 82.6% in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Medication usage after operation was reduced in 79.3% of PLIF group and in 78.3% of $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Patients' self-reported overall success of their procedure showed 82% in PLIF group and 84% in $0^{\circ}$ fixation group. Conclusion : Both PLIF and $0^{\circ}$ fixation showed good outcomes and provided biomechanically stable fusion in spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and low grade isthmic spondylolisthesis. Therefore, only PLIF seems necessary and considered a proper surgical treatment for these disorders.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.130-138
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to explore patients' perceptions that deserve attention when designing core questions for a clinical practice guideline of Korean medicine(KM) for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods : Patients who had been admitted to Pusan National Korean Medicine Hospital from November 1, 2015 to October 31, 2016 were invited to the survey. Patients were eligible if they were both clinically and radiologically confirmed as degenerative LSS. The structured questionnaire was distributed by mail and outpatient visits. Questions included types of experienced Korean/Western medical interventions for LSS, their perceived effectiveness on symptoms, the necessity for studies of KM for degenerative LSS, the types of KM interventions to be investigated and the types of outcome measures after treatments. Data were descriptively analysed. Results : Twenty of thirty-one invited participants responded to the questionnaire. Acupuncture and herbal medicine were the most frequently used KM interventions. Eighteen respondents reported that KM treatments were helpful for their improvement. Sixteen patients who mentioned that research on KM is needed chose acupuncture as the top priority(88%) among KM interventions. The most important outcomes in the view of nineteen respondents included functional recovery (68%) and pain relief (53%). Thirteen respondents (65%) replied that both short-term and long-term outcome were important for them. Conclusions : Our findings may have limited validity due to the small number of respondents and the potential selection and information bias. Further qualitative studies and large-scale surveys to comprehensively identify patients' views are warranted.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.9-16
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to ascertain the effect of Micro-current on a pain, balance, of knee joint in the patients with degenerative arthritis. Method: The 30 subjects who had micro-current in this research and randomly assigned into two group, an experiment group and a control group. micro-current was applied to 15 subject in the experiment group after general physical therapy. experiment group was applies general therapies and micro-current stimulation. The measurement were analyzed by using SPSS(V.20). In order to compare the post to the amount of pre-changes and post-changes of each group, the paired t-test was used. The difference between the experiment group and the control group was analyzed by using the analysis of convariance. Results: The results of this study were as follows; 1) In VAS measures, the pain point was significantly decreased in both the experimental and the control group. 2) Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire(MPQ), the pain point was significantly decreased in both the experimental and the control group. 3) TUG measures, the second was significantly decreased in both the experimental and the control group. 4) Weight distribution measures, the authority was significantly decreased in both the experimental and the control group. Conclusion: The micro-current is considered a degenerative knee arthritis that can be presented as an effective physical therapy intervention.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.65-73
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• 2004

Objective: This study was designed to compared the effect of general acupuncture on degenerative arthritis of knee joint with 8 constitution acupuncture by Visual Analogue Scale(VAS). Methods: VAS was used for this research, with the pain indicator of 10 and 0 which represents a pain of first visit and a status of no pain respectively. Two groups, consisting of 40 patients, was randomly allocated for this research. SPSS(Statistic Program for Social Science) 10.0 for window was used for a statistical analysis. Independent T-test and Mann Whitney U test was performed to evaluate the improvement of each group by the treatment number and to compare that of two groups. Results: As a result of the comparison analysis between two groups after 20th treatment, the improvement of subjective symptoms in 8 constitution acupuncture group was shown more effective than that in general acupuncture group, while, After 10th treatment, there was no significant difference between two groups in VAS. Conclusion: It is suggested that the effect of 8 constitution acupuncture should be significantly different from that of general acupuncture on degenerative arthritis of knee joint. Further study is needed to confirm the effectiveness of 8 constitution acupuncture.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2005

To observe the morphological changes and the expression of tenascin in synovium of human knee joint, between normal condition and degenerative arthritis, were processed by immunoelectron microscopic method. The results were summarized as follows. 1. In degenerative arthritis, the hyperplasia of synovial membrane was characterized by the increase of cell number in secretory synovial cells. 2. In normal condition, there was no marking of the immuno-gold for tenascin in synovial membrane. 3. In degenerative arthritis, the immuno-gold for tenascin were observed in endoplasmic reticulum of secretory synovial cells and extracellular matrix of synovial layer. On the basis of above findings, the hyperplasia of synovial membrane and the pathologic processes may be concerned with the increase of number of secretory synovial cells and of expression of tenascin, in degenerative arthritis.