• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.234-244
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• 2021

Purpose: To date, studies of firearm and explosive injuries in the Korean military have been limited compared to its importance. To overcome this, this study examined the characteristics of musculoskeletal damages in soldiers who have suffered firearm and explosive injuries over the past four years. Materials and Methods: From January 2015 to July 2019, military forces who had suffered musculoskeletal injuries from firearms or explosive substances were included. The medical records and radiographs were reviewed retrospectively, and telephone surveys about Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) for this group were conducted. To compare the functional outcomes, statistical analysis was performed using a t-test for the types of weapons, and ANOVA for others. Results: Of the 61 patients treated for firearms and explosives injuries, 30 patients (49.2%) were included after undergoing orthopedic treatment due to musculoskeletal injury. The average age at injury was 26.4 years old (21-52 years old). The number of officers and soldiers was similar. Eleven were injured by gunshot and 19 by an explosive device. Sixteen were treated in the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and 10 at private hospitals. More than half of the 16 patients (53.3%) with a fracture had multiple fractures. The most common injury site was the hand (33.3%), followed by the lower leg (30.0%). There were 14 patients (46.7%) with Gustilo-Anderson classification 3B or higher who required a soft tissue reconstruction. Fifteen patients agreed to join the SMFA survey for the functional outcomes. Between officers and soldiers, officers had better scores in the Bother Index compared to soldiers (p=0.0045). Patients treated in the Armed Forces Capital Hospital had better scores in both the Dysfunction and Bother Index compared to private hospitals (p=0.0008, p=0.0149). Conclusion: This is the first study to analyze of weapons injuries in the Korean military. As a result of the study, the orthopedic burden was high in the treating patients with military weapon injuries. In addition, it is necessary to build a military trauma registry, including firearm and explosive injuries, for trauma treatment evaluation and development of military trauma system.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.324-330
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• 2020

Purpose: Korean studies on the prevalence of a tarsal coalition are quite rare, and there are very few reports on the prevalence of multiple tarsal coalitions among adults in the foreign literature. Therefore, this study examined the characteristics and prevalence of tarsal coalition in the Korean population based on imaging tests. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of tarsal coalition and its anatomical location and histological classification were reviewed retrospectively among 4,711 patients (4,454 males and 257 females) with an ankle sprain or ankle fracture who underwent foot and ankle computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging between March 2009 and February 2019 at the authors' institution. Results: Over a period of 10 years, 78 patients (1.7%) had a tarsal coalition, among whom 53 patients (67.9%) had an isolated tarsal coalition and 25 patients (32.1%) had multiple tarsal coalitions. Regarding the anatomical location, a talocalcaneal coalition was the most common type in both isolated (31 patients, 37 cases [62.7%]) and multiple (22 patients, 23 cases [45.1%]) tarsal coalitions. In the isolated coalition group, the second-most common type was calcaneonavicular coalition (10 patients, 16.9%), followed by naviculocuneiform (nine patients, 15.3%) and cuboidonavicular coalitions (three patients, 5.1%). In the multiple coalition group, the second-most common coalition type was calcaneonavicular coalition (14 patients, 14 cases [27.5%]), followed by talonavicular coalition (six patients, six cases [11.8%]). From a total of 60 cases of talocalcaneal coalition, 24 cases (40.0%) were in the posterior facet, 18 cases (30.0%) in the middle facet, and four cases (6.7%) in the anterior facet. Regarding the histological classification, cartilaginous coalition was the most common in both single (32 patients, 35 cases [59.3%]) and multiple (20 patients, 37 cases [72.5%]) coalition groups. Conclusion: The present study found that talocalcaneal coalition was the most common type of tarsal coalition. In contrast to previous reports that a talocalcaneal coalition generally occurs in the middle facet, it was usually observed in the posterior facet in the present study. In addition, although multiple tarsal coalitions have been reported to be quite rare, this study confirmed that they are not rare and can occur in a range of patterns.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.435-439
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• 2019

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy of blood mixed cement for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in reducing the complications of percutaneous vertebroplasty using conventional cement. Materials and Methods: This study was performed retrospectively in 80 patients, from January 2016 to January 2017. Porous cement was formed by mixing 2, 4, and 6 ml of blood with 20 g of cement used previously. A tube with a diameter and length of 2.8 mm and 215 mm, respectively, was used and the polymerization temperature, setting time, and optimal passing-time were measured and compared with those using only conventional cement. Radiologically, the results were evaluated and compared. Results: The polymerization temperature was 70.3℃, 55.3℃, 52.7℃, and 45.5℃ in the conventional cement (R), 2 ml (B2), 4 ml (B4), and 6 ml (B6), respectively, and the corresponding setting time decreased from 960 seconds (R) to 558 seconds (B2), 533 seconds (B4), and 500 seconds (B6). The optimal passing-time was 45 seconds (B2), 60 seconds (B4), and 78 seconds (B6) at 73 seconds (R), respectively and as the amount of blood increased, it was similar to the cement passing-time. The radiological results showed that the height restoration rates and the vertebral subsidence rates similar among the groups. Two cases of adjacent vertebral compression fractures in the R group and one in the B2 and B4 groups were encountered, and the leakage rate of the cement was approximately two times higher than that in the conventional cement group. Conclusion: In conventional percutaneous vertebroplasty, the procedure of using autologous blood with cement decreased the polymerization temperature, reduced the setting time, and the incidence of cement leakage was low. These properties may contribute to more favorable mechanical properties that can reduce the complications compared to conventional cements alone.