• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.496-500
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• 2010

Objective : Surgical treatment of lumbosacral foraminal stenosis requires an understanding of the anatomy of the lumbosacral area in individual patients. Unilateral facetectomy has been used to completely decompress entrapment of the L5 nerve root, followed in some patients by posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with stand-alone cages Methods : We assessed 34 patients with lumbosacral foraminal stenosis who were treated with unilateral facetectomy and PLIF using stand-alone cages in our center from January 2004 to September 2007. All the patients underwent follow-up X-rays, including a dynamic view, at 3, 6, 12, 24 months, and computed tomography (CT) at 24 months postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were analyzed with the mean numeric rating scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Odom's criteria. Radiological outcomes were assessed with change of disc height, defined as the average of anterior, middle, and posterior height in plain X-rays. In addition, lumbosacral fusion was also assessed with dynamic X-ray and CT. Results : Mean NRS score, which was 9.29 prior to surgery, was 1.5 at 18 months after surgery. The decrease in NRS was statistically significant. Excellent and good groups with regard to Odom's criteria were 31 cases (91%) and three cases (9%) were fair. Pre-operative mean ODI of 28.4 decreased to 14.2 at post-operative 24 months. In 30 patients, a bone bridge on CT scan was identified. The change in disc height was 8.11 mm, 10.02 mm and 9.63 mm preoperatively, immediate postoperatively and at 24 months after surgery, respectively. Conclusion : In the treatment of lumbosacral foraminal stenosis, unilateral facetectomy and interbody fusion using expandable stand-alone cages may be considered as one treatment option to maintain post-operative alignment and to obtain satisfactory clinical outcomes.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.191-198
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• 2011

Background: Postlaminectomy peridural fibrosis is inevitable. Some studies have compared and identified the effects of high molecular weight hyaluronic acids (HMWHA) and low molecular weight hyaluronic acids (LMWHA) on peridural fibrosis in postlaminectomy animal models. However, no studies have been found that compare pain behaviors between hyaluronic acids or among hyaluronic acids and other solid materials. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between pain-related behaviors and histopathologic changes in laminectomized rats using various peridurally administered materials. Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats, laminectomized at the L5 and L6 levels, were divided into four groups: group C, laminectomy only; group L, laminectomy and LMWHA application; group H, laminectomy and HMWHA application; group F, laminectomy and fat interposition. Pain behaviors were checked before, 3 days, 1 week, and 3 weeks after surgery. Histopathological changes were checked at the L5 level 3 weeks after the surgery. Results: The 50% withdrawal thresholds in groups L and H were higher than that in groups C and F three days after laminectomy (P < 0.05). The paw withdrawal time did not change among the groups and in each group during the study period. Peridural fibrosis in group F was significantly lower than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Hyaluronic acids significantly reduced mechanical allodynia but not thermal hyperalgesia. Peridural fibrosis did not show any correlation with pain behaviors. There have been limited studies on the correlation between peridural fibrosis and pain behavioral change, which should be verified by further studies.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.995-1003
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• 2021

Objective : People are living longer and the elderly population continues to increase. The incidence of degenerative spinal diseases (DSDs) in the elderly population is quite high. Therefore, we are facing more cases of DSD and offering more surgical solutions in geriatric patients. Understanding the significance and association of frailty and central sarcopenia as risk factors for spinal surgery in elderly patients will be helpful in improving surgical outcomes. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of prospectively collected data to assess the impact of preoperative central sarcopenia, frailty, and comorbidity on surgical outcome in elderly patients with DSD. Methods : We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent elective spinal surgery performed from January 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 at our hospital. We included patients aged 65 and over who underwent surgery on the thoracic or lumbar spine and were diagnosed as DSD. Central sarcopenia was measured by the 50th percentile of psoas : L4 vertebral index (PLVI) using the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle. We used the Korean version of the fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illnesses, and loss of weight (K-FRAIL) scale to measure frailty. Comorbidity was confirmed and scored using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). As a tool for measuring surgical outcome, we used the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification for postoperative complications and the length of stay (LOS). Results : This study included 85 patients (35 males and 50 females). The mean age was 74.05±6.47 years. Using the K-FRAIL scale, four patients were scored as robust, 44 patients were pre-frail and 37 patients were frail. The mean PLVI was 0.61±0.19. According to the CD classification, 50 patients were classified as grade 1, 19 as grade 2, and four as grade 4. The mean LOS was 12.35±8.17 days. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that postoperative complication was significantly associated with surgical invasiveness and K-FRAIL scale. LOS was significantly associated with surgical invasiveness and CCI. K-FRAIL scale showed a significant correlation with CCI and PLVI. Conclusion : The present study demonstrates that frailty, comorbidity, and surgical invasiveness are important risk factors for postoperative complications and LOS in elderly patients with DSD. Preoperative recognition of these factors may be useful for perioperative optimization, risk stratification, and patient counseling.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2021

Degenerative disc disease has traditionally been thought of as low back pain caused by changes in the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrous, in recent studies, however, changes in the upper and lower endplates cause degeneration of the disc, resulting in mechanical pressure, inflammatory reactions and low back pain. Recently, the bone marrow of the vertebral body-endplate-nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrous were considered as a single unit, and the relationship was explained. Once the endplate is damaged, it eventually aggravates the degeneration of the bone marrow, nucleus pulposus, and annulus fibrosus. In this process, the compression force of the annulus fibrosus increases, and an inflammatory reaction occurs due to inflammatory mediators. Hence, the sinuvertebral nerves and the basivertebral nerves are stimulated to cause back pain. If these changes become chronic, degenerative changes such as Modic changes occur in the bone marrow in the vertebrae. Finally, in the case of degenerative intervertebral disc disease, the bone marrow of the vertebral body-endplate-nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrous need to be considered as a single unit. Therefore, when treating patients with chronic low back pain, it is necessary to consider the changes in the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus and a lesion of the endplate.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 1995

Metastatic bone tumor is the most common bone tumor and 32.5% of all primary malignant tumors are eventually metastasize to bone. Metastatic bone tumor has been more frequently encountered disease in the orthopedic fields due to the greater longevity of life of the patients with primary visceral cancers by major advances in early detection, diagnosis, and surgical/radiotherapeutic/chemotherapeutic treatment of primary and metastatic lesions. Therefore, the epidemiologic data about the incidences and the patterns of bone metastasis is important. We reviewed 417 patients who were diagnosed and treated for metastatic bone tumor at Kosin University Medical Center from 1985 to 1993 to analyse the primary lesion, age and sex distributions, location of bone metastasis, patterns of metastasis according to the primary. The results were as follows : 1. The common origin of bone metastasis were lung(29.5%), stomach(15.3%), breast(11.3%), unknown(7.7%), cervix(5.3%), liver(4.8%) in order of frequency. 2. There were 251 men and 166 women and their mean age was 54.8 years and the peak age incidence was in 6th decades. Most cases(85.3%) were occured beyond 5th decades. 3. The preferred sites of metastatic deposits were spine(64.0%), pelvis(40.5%), rib(38.8%), femur(36.7%), skull(21.1%), humerus(13.9%), scapula(13.0%) in order of frequency. In the spine, thoracic(42.1%), lumbar(39.1%), cervical(13.2%), sacral(5.6%) vertebrae were involved in order of frequency. 4. Multiple bone metastases were more common(73.1%) than single metastasis(26.9%). 5. In the lung cancer, the peak age incidence was 6th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, pelvis, femur. 6. In the stomach cancer, the peak age incidence was 6th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, femur, pelvis. 7. In the breast cancer, the peak age incidence was 5th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, rib, pelvis. 8. In the bone metastasis with unknown primary site, the peak age incidence was 7th decades, the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, femur, pelvis, and the common histologic types were adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2009

Purpose: Giant cell tumor of the spine is very rare, and the treatment is very difficult. However, surgical techniques and diagnostic modalities are developed, and postoperative functional results are improved. To evaluate the efficacy of total spondylectomy for giant cell tumor of the spine, the clinical results of the surgical treatments for the giant cell tumor of the spine with intralesional curettage or total spondylectomy were evaluated. Materials and Methods: From April 1987 to March 2006, 10 patients who were underwent surgical treatments using total spondylectomy or intralesional curettage were studied. There were 3 men and 7 women. The mean age of the patients was 32 years (range, 25~44 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 8 years (range, 3~15 years). Locations of the tumor were 2 cervical spines, 4 thoracic spines, 2 lumbar spines and 2 sacrum. Initial main symptom of 10 patients was pain, and 7 patients had neurologic impairments too. Four patients were treated with total spodylectomy using anterior and posterior combined approach, 1 patient was treated with total sacrectomy using posterior approach only, and 5 patients were treated with intralesional curettage using anterior approach. Results: Nine patients improved pain and neurologic impairments. Local recurrences developed in 4(40%) patients (2 cervical spines, 1 thoracic spine, 1 sacrum). While a local recurrence developed from 5 total spondylectomy, 3 local recurrences developed from 5 intralesional curettage. Conclusion: Local recurrence rate after surgical treatment with intralesional curettage for the giant cell tumor of the spine was very high. Total spondylectomy using anterior and posterior approach is advisable to prevent the local recurrence after surgical treatment.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.14 no.1_4
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• pp.11-23
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• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of low-intensity ultrasound application to the peripheral nerve injury animal model on enhancement of nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Using aseptic microsurgical techniques, the sciatic nerve of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats was crushed at the outside of right mid-thigh for 30 seconds with fine forceps. Beginning just after surgery, various continuous-wave ultrasound treatments with intensities of 0.2 W/$cm^2$, 0.5 W /$cm^2$ and 1.0 W /$cm^2$ operated at 1 MHz or sham treatment were applied to the opposite inside of the crush site for 1 minute every other day with a transducer moving speed of 2cm/sec. For evaluation of the progress of sciatic nerve regeneration, c-Fos expression in the lumbar spinal cord (L4-5) dorsal horn was investigated. c-fos expression was markedly increased at 1hour after sciatic nerve crush injury, then gradually decreased thereafter. The c-fos expressions were significantly decreased (p<0.05) in all the experimental groups in comparison with the control group until 3days post-crush, and the degrees of decrease were higher in 0.5 W/$cm^2$ and 1 W/$cm^2$ intensity ultrasound application groups. It is suggested that low-intensity ultrasound application to an animal model of sciatic crush injury may suppress pain transmission and promote nerve regeneration, and which may result in delayed progress of muscle atrophy and accelerated progress of muscle recovery and eventually may result in accelerated and improved foot function recovery.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.9-18
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• 2010

Objectives : This study will broaden understanding of acupotomy therapy through comparison of side effects and complication which can be caused by the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods, and procedure by acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty. Moreover, through an in-depth analysis of headache affected by two procedures, this research is supposed to find prospective cures for headache after acupotomy therapy. Methods : To compare acupotomy therapy with epidural neuroplasty this research was done using a comparative analysis eight theses about acupotomy therapy since 1995, as well as eleven theses about epidural neuroplasty since 2000. Other theses and data were used as references in the process of comparative analysis. Results : Acupotomy therapy and epidural neuroplasty, new treatments of damaged discs in the spine and stenosis made in 1990s, have the mechanism of treatment in common in that adhesion, a node or scar caused by the soft tissue damage is removed by putting catheter or acupuncture into the lesions. Epidural neuroplasty has additional injection into the lesions, which is different from acupotomy therapy in the process of surgical procedure. There are various reports of positive effects about curative effect in these two treatments. The two procedures may cause various complications. Headache may be a complication after surgery. The headache after acupotomy therapy is characterized as being an ache in the body, which is similar to that of post-dural puncture headache in the outbreaks and symptom. Headache after percutaneous epidural neuroplasty appears in general, which is similar to a headache as a result of the increased pressure of the brain spinal cord regardless of posture. Conclusions : Although they are alike in the mechanism of treatment, surgical methods and side effects, and complication after they are carried out as a result of analyzing theses related to acupotomy therapy and percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, there is a difference in aspects and mechanism of headaches experienced after the procedure.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2545-2548
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• 2016

Background: There is growing evidence that there are differences in histological and genetic characteristics along with clinical behavior between right- and left-sided colon carcinomas. We have compared various parameters of the two types and assessed associations of the results with prognosis in patients in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: We reviewed 200 cases from our institutional database; 100 cases of right-sided and 100 cases of left-sided colon cancer. Parameters including age, gender, TNM stage, histological features and clinical outcome were analyzed. Results: The patients with right-sided colon cancer were significantly older as compared to their counterparts with left-sided cancer. They presented with a lumbar mass rather than symptoms of obstruction and perforation as seen in left-sided colon cancers, and the histology showed higher percentage of poorly differentiated tumors with advanced pT stage. Moreover, Crohn's-like reactions, intra tumoral lymphocyte responses and other poor prognostic factors like lymph vascular invasion and perineural invasion were more common in right-sided cancers. Conclusions: We found that right- and left-sided colon cancers are different from each other in terms of clinical presentation, histology and clinical behavior. Right-sided colon cancers are more aggressive and are associated with poorer clinical outcome as compared to left sided colon cancers in our population.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.80-85
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• 2013

Twenty one cows in Goyang and Paju cities were referred due to displacement of the abomasum and foreign body in the rumen. Omentopexy and rumenotomy through a right flank celiotomy were performed for treatment of abomasal displacement and the foreign body removal in the rumen. The right paralumbar fossa is clipped and prepared surgically. Local anesthesia is instituted by performing inverted L block. The abdomen was entered through 25 to 30 cm vertical incision in the right paralumbar fossa starting 4 to 5 cm ventral to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae. A 14-gauge needle with rubber tubing attached is inserted to relieve the gaseous pressure and to facilitate further exploration and manipulation. The rumen was gently pulled out of the abdominal cavity and incision was made at the omentum. Rumenotomy was done and retrieved the foreign body. After the rumen was rinsed with sterile saline, the rumen wall was closed by a Lembert suture technique. The omentum was closed by a simple continuous suture. Right flank omentopexy was performed for the surgical correction of abomasal displacement. Recovery results among 21 cows included 9 excellent, 5 good, 2 fair and 5 bad. It was considered that operation of abomasal displacement and foreign body removal in the rumen through right flank celiotomy was a good surgical technique to reduce expenses, surgical pain, and surgery time.