• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.167-170
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• 1994

The surgical removal of the wisdom teeth is obligate when forceps extraction fails or when the wisdom teeth are impacted. The surgical removal of impacted maxillary third molars is a commonly performed procedure usually associated with few complications & little morbidity. The most frequent complications are tooth root fracture, maxillary tuberosity fracture, tooth displacement into the maxillary sinus & oroantral fistula formation. A rarely reported complication is the displacement of a tooth into the infratemporal fossa. The method of prevention of this complication is by the placement of either a finger or periosteal elevator posterior to the tooth during extraction. To remove the displaced upper third molar is very difficult & has many complications, e.g., persistent bleeding & nerve damage. When the wisdom teeth is displaced, it is initially necessary to gain access to bone by developing a mucoperiosteal path of delivery is developed by additional bone removal or, preferably planned sectioning of the tooth. There are many approaching techniques to remove the displaced upper third molar. This following report describes the surgical technique of displaced upper third molar in the pterygopalatine fassa by the midpalatal ＆transpharyngeal approach.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.177-180
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• 2013

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is characterized by recurrent paroxysms of unilateral facial pain that typically is severe, lancinating, and activated with cutaneous stimulation. There are two types of TN, classical TN and atypical TN. The pain nature of classical TN are the same as those described above, whereas atypical TN is characterized by constant, burning pain. We describe the case of a 49-year-old male presenting with right-sided facial pain. The patient was diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder at a dental clinic and was on medical treatment, but his symptoms worsened gradually. He was referred to our pain clinic for further evaluation. Radiologic evaluation, including MRI, showed a parapharyngeal tumor. For the relief of TN, a right mandibular nerve (V3) root block was performed at our pain clinic, and then he was scheduled for radiation and chemotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2006

Objective : Microvascular decompression[MVD] at root exit zone[REZ] of the facial nerve has been largely popularized and it has become the standard treatment for patients with hemifacial spasm[HFS]. This sturdy is performed to evaluate the efficacy of MVD over the course of time. Methods : From 1994 to 2003, 50 patients with HFS who underwent MVD were followed up for more than 6 months. We retrospectively analyzed results with medical records and telephone researches. Results : The mean age of patients at the time operation was 57.6 years and 84% of the patients were female. The mean duration of follow-up after operation was 3.4 years [range $0.5{\sim}7.8\;years$]. One day after MVD, 54% of patients had complete relief of spasm immediately. Continuous improvements of HFS were observed during the follow-up period and these improvements were statistically significant with time (P< 0.05). Until 6 months after operation, complete relief of spasm was observed in 84% of patients. The delayed relief of spasm was observed in 35.7% of our patients who experienced complete relief. Conclusion : The efficacy of MVD in HFS is improves with time. Continuous follow-up evaluations for the duration of more than at least 6 months after MVD are important for the decision of its clinical results because delayed relief of spasms occurs.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.280-285
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• 2019

Background: Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is a treatment modality that alleviates radicular pain by intermittently applying high-frequency currents adjacent to the dorsal root ganglion. There has been no comparative study on analgesic effect according to the position of the needle tip in PRF treatment. The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes of PRF according to the needle tip position. Methods: Patients were classified into 2 groups (group IP [group inside of pedicle] and group OP [group outside of pedicle]) based on needle tip position in the anteroposterior view of fluoroscopy. In the anteroposterior view, the needle tip was advanced medially further than the lateral aspect of the corresponding pedicle in group IP; however, in group OP, the needle tip was not advanced. The treatment outcomes and pain scores were evaluated at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after applying PRF. Results: At 4, 8, and 12 weeks, there were no significant differences between the successful response rate and numerical rating scale score ratio. Conclusions: The analgesic efficacy of PRF treatment did not differ with the needle tip position.

• Journal of Electrodiagnosis and Neuromuscular Diseases
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2018

A 36-year-old male patient developed diffuse low back pain. His past medical history was unremarkable and had no family history of neuromuscular disease. He had no bladder and bowel problems. Creatine kinase was 172 U/L (normal < 170). Other fluid and blood chemistry tests were normal. Manual muscle test grades of extremities and sensory examination were normal. Muscle stretch reflexes were normal. Fasciculations and myotonia were not detected. Straight leg raising test was negative. There was no spinal root compression, spinal stenosis, or signal intensity change of spinal cord on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fatty change and atrophy of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar paraspinal muscles were noted on MRI. Nerve conduction studies were normal. Electromyography showed 1+ positive sharp waves in the lumbar paraspinal muscles. Electromyography of upper and lower extremity muscles revealed no abnormal spontaneous activity. We report a rare case of severe paraspinal muscle atrophy with fatty degeneration in a Young Adult.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 2024

One of the most common sources of spinal pain syndromes is the facet joints. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facet joint pain syndromes comprise 55%, 42%, and 31% of chronic spinal pain syndromes, respectively. Common facet joint disorders are degenerative disorders, such as osteoarthritis, hypertrophied superior articular process, and facet joint cysts; septic arthritis; systemic and metabolic disorders, such as ankylosing spondylitis or gout; and traumatic dislocations. The facet pain syndrome from osteoarthritis is suspected from a patient's history (referred pain pattern) and physical examination (tenderness). Other facet joint disorders may cause radicular pain if mass effect from a facet joint cyst, hypertrophied superior articular process, or tumors compress the dorsal root ganglion. However, a high degree of morphological change does not always provoke pain. The superiority of innervating nerve block or direct joint injection for diagnosis and treatment is still a controversy. Treatment includes facet joint injection in facet joint osteoarthritis or whiplash injury provoking referred pain or decompression in mass effect in cases of hypertrophied superior articular process or facet joint cyst eliciting radicular pain. In addition, septic arthritis is treated using a proper antibiotic, based on infected tissue or blood culture. This review describes the diagnosis and treatment of common facet joint disorders.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.71-77
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• 2010

Purpose: To determine whether upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) transcription and translation is related to radicular pain in a model of lumbar disc herniation. Also, to investigate the temporal changes of mRNA expression of iNOS and the identity of iNOS and transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) 1 channel expression cells in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of a model of lumbar disc herniation. Methods: A lumbar disc herniated rat model was developed by implantation of the autologous nucleus pulposus, harvested from the coccygeal vertebra of each tail, on the left L5 nerve root just proximal to the DRG. Rats were tested for mechanical allodynia of the plantar surface of both hind paws 2 days before surgery and 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 days postoperatively. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to follow iNOS mRNA expression. To stain iNOS and TRPV1 in DRG, an immunohistochemical study was done 10 days after surgery. Results: A significant drop in mechanical withdrawal threshold on the ipsilateral and contralateral hind paws was observed 1 day after surgery and was prolonged to 30 days in rats with lumbar disc herniation. The expression of mRNA for iNOS peaked at postoperative day 10 on both sides of the DRG. iNOS-positive sensory neurons in the DRG varied in size from large to small diameter cells. A majority of small and intermediate sensory neurons were TRPV1-positive cells. Double immunofluorescence staining for TRPV1 and iNOS revealed that most intermediate TRPV1-positive sensory neurons co-localized with iNOS-positive neurons. Conclusion: Nucleus pulposus-induced mechanical allodynia can be generated without mechanical compression. This pain is related to temporal changes in expression of iNOS mRNA in the DRG. Co-localization of TRPV1 and iNOS in intermediate neurons of the DRG is correlated with pain modality and intensity.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1210-1219
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• 2001

Introduction : The purpose of this study was to analyze the safety, pullout strength and radiographic characteristics of unicortical and bicortical screws of cervical facet within cadaveric specimens and evaluate the influence of level of training on the positioning of these screws. Methods : Twenty-one cadavers, mean 78.9 years of age, underwent bilateral placement of 3.5mm AO lateral mass screw from C3-C6(n=168) using a slight variation of the Magerl technique. Intraoperative imaging was not used. The right side(unicortical) utilized only 14mm screws(effective length of 11mm) while on the left side to determine the length of the screw after the ventral cortex had been drilled. Three spine surgeons(attending, fellow, chief resident) with varying levels of spine training performed the procedure on seven cadavers each. All spines were harvested and lateral radiographs were taken. Individual cervical vertebrae were carefully dissected and then axial radiographs were taken. The screws were evaluated clinically and radiographically for their safety. Screws were graded clinically for their safety with respect to the spinal cord, facet joint, nerve root and vertebral artery. The grades consisted of the following categories : "satisfactory", "at risk" and "direct injury". Each screw was also graded according to its zone placement. Screw position was quantified by measuring a sagittal angle from the lateral radiograph and an axial angle from the axial radiograph. Pull-out force was determined for all screws using a material testing machine. Results : Dissection revealed that fifteen screws on the left side actually had only unicortical and not bicortical purchase as intended. The majority of screws(92.8%) were satisfactory in terms of safety. There were no injuries to the spinal cord. On the right side(unicortical), 98.9% of the screws were "satisfactory" and on the left side(bicortical) 68.1% were "satisfactory". There was a 5.8% incidence of direct arterial injury and a 17.4% incidence of direct nerve root injury with the bicortical screws. There were no "direct injuries" with the unicortical screws for the nerve root or vertebral artery. The unicortical screws had a 21.4% incidence of direct injury of the facet joint, while the bicortical screws had a 21.7% incidence. The majority of "direct injury" of bicortical screws were placed by the surgeon with the least experience. The performance of the resident surgeon was significantly different from the attending or fellow(p<0.05) in terms of safety of the nerve root and vertebral artery. The attending's performance was significantly better than the resident or fellow(p<0.05) in terms of safety of the facet joint. There was no relationship between the safety of a screw and its zone placement. The axial deviation angle measured $23.5{\pm}6.6$ degrees and $19.8{\pm}7.9$ degrees for the unicortical and bicortical screws, respectively. The resident surgeon had a significantly lower angle than the attending or fellow(p<0.05). The sagittal angle measured $66.3{\pm}7.0$ degrees and $62.3{\pm}7.9$ degrees for the unicortical and bicortical screws, respectively. The attending had a significantly lower sagittal angle than the fellow or resident(p<0.05). Thirty-three screws that entered the facet joint were tested for pull-out strength but excluded from the data because they were not lateral mass screws per-se and had deviated substantially from the intended final trajectory. The mean pull-out force for all screws was $542.9{\pm}296.6N$. There was no statistically significant difference between the pull-out force for unicortical($519.9{\pm}286.9N$) and bicortical($565.2{\pm}306N$) screws. There was no significant difference in pull-out strengths with respect to zone placement. Conclusion : It is our belief that the risk associated with bicortical purchase mandates formal spine training if it is to be done safely and accurately. Unicortical screws are safer regardless of level of training. It is apparent that 14mm lateral mass screws placed in a supero-lateral trajectory in the adult cervical spine provide an equivalent strength with a much lower risk of injury than the longer bicortical screws placed in a similar orientation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 2006

Purpose: We evaluated whether Cyberknife radiosurgery is an effective and safe method of therapy for medically intractable trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 26 patients, who failed to surgery or were not suitable candidates for invasive intervention and were treated by Cyberknife radiosurgery between March 2004 and May 2005. Radiosurgery doses of $60{\sim}64 Gy$ were delivered to the 80% isodose line prescribed to an 6 mm length of the nerve, sparing the most proximal 3 mm away from the trigeminal nerve root entry zone (median dose: 64 Gy). Results: Follow-up period was $3{\sim}15$ months (median follow-up period: 9 months) Preliminary results from a cohort of 26 patients undergoing Cyberknife radiosurgery for TN showed that pain relief was achieved in 50% (13/26) of patients within the first 24 hrs after treatment. At last follow-up, 96.2% (25/26) of patients reported early pain relief within 7 days. Treatment failure developed in 2 of 26. Poor response occurred in one patient and relapse was observed in the other patient. 3 patients had hypoesthesia (11.5%), which was the only complication observed with any of our patients. Conclusion: With these results, authors assumed that Cyberknife radiosurgery for TN could be one of safe and effective therapeutic methods.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.501-508
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• 2001

Objectives : Hemifacial spasm is painless uncommon disorder characterized by involuntary paroxysmal movement on one side of face. It is known that hemifacial spasm is mainly due to pulsatile compression by vessels at the root exit zone(REZ) of the facial nerve. Microvascular decompression at REZ of the facial nerve has become the standard treatment modality for hemifacial spasm. The authors have analized patients with hemifacial spasm treated with microvascular decompression to evaluate operation result and clinical course after operation. Patients and Methods : From 1992 to 1999, 41 patients with hemifacial spasm underwent this operation. Retrospective analysis of operation results and clinical recovery patterns was done. The length of observation had been more than 6 months in all cases. Results : The ratio of male to female was 1:1.4, and age at operation ranged from 24 to 66 years. Their mean age was 47.6 years and the mean preoperative duration of symptoms was 7.2 years. Most common offending vessels were AICA in 18 cases(48%) and second most common were PICA in 13 cases(31.7%). The rest of them were 3 case in vertebral artery, and 7 cases(13%) in multiple offending vessels. Patterns of improvement after surgery could be divided into 4 clinical types. There was complete recovery in 3 days after operation in 24 cases(58.6%, Immediate complete recovery). There was complete recovery in 3 days after operation, and symptom was recurred partially, which was gradually subsided in 2 weeks after operation in 4 cases(9.8%, Delayed complete recovery type I). There was partial recovery after operation and symptom was compretely disappeared gradually in 6 months after operation in 7 cases(17.1%, Delayed complete recovery type II). Finally, there was partial recovery after operation, and symptom was somewhat remained after 6 months later(14.5%, Delayed partial recovery). Conclusion : In conclusion, microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm is a safe and reliable treatment modality with good results of improvement and there are 4 recovery patterns in clinical course after operation in our series. Therefore, follow-up observation after microvascular decompression is necessary to evaluate the operative results and complication, especially in the delayed resolved cases.