• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.56 no.5
• /
• pp.404-412
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study examined the degree of cartilage regeneration by performing second-look arthroscopy in a group of patients who underwent high tibial osteotomy and microfractures for unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the medial knee joint and to determine the factors affecting cartilage regeneration. In addition, this study analyzed whether there is a relationship between the degree of cartilage regeneration and functional results. Materials and Methods: From 2007 to 2015, this study evaluated 81 cases who underwent second-look arthroscopy at the time of plate removal after a microfracture and high tibial osteotomy with a minimum two-year follow-up. The degree of femoral cartilage injury before surgery was classified by ICRS (International Cartilage Research Society), and all were grade III and IV. After second-look arthroscopy, cartilage regeneration was classified into a well-regenerated group (grade I, II) and a poorly regenerated group (grade III, IV). The independent factors influencing cartilage regeneration were identified through multivariate logistic regression analysis. In addition, the functional results were compared before and after surgery between the two groups using the Knee Society score (KSS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score (WOMAC). Results: Age, sex, body mass index, postoperative radiologic factors, and preoperative joint condition did not affect the degree of cartilage regeneration significantly. The large cartilage defect (≥2.0 cm²) (p=0.011) and the presence of kissing lesions (p=0.027) were associated with poor cartilage regeneration. No significant difference in the KSS and WOMAC scores was observed between the group with good and poor cartilage regeneration. Conclusion: The presence of a large cartilage defect and kissing lesions is associated with poor cartilage regeneration after high tibial osteotomy and microfracture. On the other hand, the degree of the regenerated cartilage did not show any correlation with the functional outcome.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.418-425
• /
• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to introduce the ultrasound-guided transmeniscal injection in medial compartment knee osteoarthritis and analyze the clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: The electronic medical records of 36 patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis who were treated with an ultrasound-guided transmeniscal injection from March 2019 to July 2019 were accessed for this retrospective review. Using an ultrasound guided spinal needle, the patients received an intra-articular steroid injection at the medial compartment of the knee. A physical examination was conducted at the initial visit (pre-injection), and at one week, four weeks, and eight weeks after the injection. The numeric pain rating scale (NRS), Lequesne index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score were measured at each visit and analyzed over time. The percentage change of the patients who revealed substantial improvement was analyzed. The NRS, Lequesne index, and percentage of patients, who revealed substantial improvement over time classified by osteoarthritis grade, were analyzed. Results: The NRS and Lequesne index decreased at one week, four weeks, and eight weeks after the injection compared to the initial baseline, and the pain-relief effect continued without change until eight weeks. The percentage of patients who showed substantial improvement at one, four, and eight weeks was 50.0%, 47.2%, and 52.8%, respectively. The WOMAC scores decreased at one, four, and eight weeks compared to the initial baseline, and the decrease was continued without any difference until eight weeks. The percentage of patients with osteoarthritis stage 1 or 2 who revealed more than substantial improvement was significantly higher at one, four, and eight weeks than those with osteoarthritis stages 3 or 4 (p<0.05). Conclusion: In patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, the pain reduction and functional improvement persisted for at least eight weeks after the ultrasound-guided transmeniscal injection at the medial compartment. In particular, patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis stage 1 or 2 showed more effective pain reduction.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The clinical outcomes were investigated to determine if arthroscopic management is a useful method for 19 hips with iliopsoas tendon impingement (IPI) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients (19 hips), who complained of groin pain and flexion pain that persisted after THA from September 2013 to December 2019, were the subjects of this investigation. The mean time to manifestation after THA was four months (range, 1-9 months) in patients of an average age of 60 years (range, 50-69 years). Thirteen out of 18 patients underwent THA using the direct anterior approach and five by the lateral approach. IPI was diagnosed by the medical history, physical examination, blood test, radiographic examination using X-ray and computed tomography, and topical injection therapy. All patients underwent arthroscopic treatment and a dynamic arthroscopic physical examination after exposure to the iliopsoas tendon revealed impingement. Tenotomy was then performed on the muscle portion through the total tendon portion. Symptoms and pain levels of preoperative, postoperative and follow-up period were investigated and compared. Results: The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score decreased from an average of 58.4 (range, 40-88) before surgery to an average of 35.0 (range, 15-76) after surgery. Similarly, the visual analogue scale decreased from an average of 4.0 (range, 2-6) before surgery to an average of 1.4 (range, 0-4) after surgery. Sixteen patients (88.9%) showed pain relief and improvement in the straight leg raise test, and two patients showed postoperative muscle weakness and sustained pain. In the follow-up period, muscle weakness improved. One patient underwent arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy at the lesser trochanteric level but the symptoms persisted. The clinical symptoms were improved after one more tenotomy at the joint level. Conclusion: Arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy performed in patients with IPI after THA showed good clinical results.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.38-45
• /
• 2020

Purpose: To examine the clinical and structural outcomes of an at least two-year follow-up of arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repairs with a single-row or suture-bridge technique in patients more than 65 years of age. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear who were more than 65 years of age, underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair after at least six months of conservative treatment, agreed to take a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) six months postoperatively, and visited outpatient for at least two years were enrolled in this study. Clinical evaluations were done using The University of California Los Angeles score, Constant Shoulder Score, and visual analogue scale evaluated two years after the surgery. The structural integrity was analyzed using follow-up MRI. During surgery, a suture-bridge technique was used if the rotator cuff tendon could cover half of the footprint under constant tension. Otherwise, single-row repair was performed. Results: The samples were 158 cases, consisting of 93 single-repairs and 65 suture-bridge repairs. A preoperative comparison of the age distribution, fatty degeneration of supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscle, medial retraction of torn cuff tendon, and tear size between the two groups were not significant. The clinical scores were improved significantly in all cases. The distribution of the structural integrity by Sugaya classification were 49 cases in type 1 (31.0%), 62 cases in type 2 (39.2%), 30 cases in type 3 (19.0%), 11 cases in type 4 (7.0%), and six cases in type 5 (3.8%). The re-tear rate of the single-row group was 9.7% (nine out of 93 cases) and 12.3% (eight out of 65 cases) for the suture-bridge group. Conclusion: Satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes were achieved after arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repair in patients more than 65 years of age. Both single-row and suture-bridge techniques would be beneficial for the elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.473-483
• /
• 2022

BIM(Building Information Modeling) is a technology that can manage information throughout the entire life cycle of the construction industry and serves as a platform for improving productivity and integrating the entire construction industry. Currently, BIM is actively applied in developed countries, and its use at various overseas construction sites is increasing This is unclear. due to air shortening and budget savings. However, there is still a lack of institutional basis and technical limitations in the domestic construction sector, which have led to the lack of utilization of BIM. Various activation measures and institutional frameworks will need to be established for the early establishment of these productive BIMs in Korea. Therefore, as part of the research for the domestic settlement and revitalization of BIM, this study derived a number of key factors necessary for the development of the construction industry through brainstorming and expert surveys using AHP techniques and analyzed the relative importance of each factor. In addition, prior surveys by a group of experts resulted in 1, 3 items in level, 2, 9 items in level, and 3, 27 items in level, and priorities analysis was performed through pairwise comparisons. As a result of the AHP analysis, it was found that the relative importance weight of policy aspects was highest in level 1, and the policy factors in level 2 and the cost-based and incentive system introduction factors were considered most important in level 3. These findings show that the importance of the policy guidance or institutions underlying the activation of BIM rather than research and development or corporate innovation is relatively high, and that the preparation of policy plans by public institutions should be the first priority. Therefore, it is considered that the development of a policy system or guideline must be prioritized before it can be advanced to the next activation stage. The use of BIM technologies will not only contribute to improving the productivity of the construction industry, but also to the overall development of the industry and the growth of the construction industry. It is expected that the results of this study can provide as useful information when establishing policies for activating BIM in central government, relevant local governments, and related public institutions.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.100-117
• /
• 2022

This study examines the spatio-temporal characteristics of the macrobenthic community in the coastal areas of South Korea for the past six years(2015-2020). The relationship between the number of individuals of macrobenthic species and the benthic environments were investigated using data collected at a total of 154 stations located in the West (70), the South (61), and the East Seas (23), except for the Jeju Sea. We examined the benthic environmental characteristics such as water depth, sediment, grain size, ignition loss, and total organic carbon. A total of 1,614 macrobenthic species were found in the coastal area, with a mean density of 0.62 ind./m² by station. The mean density was relatively high in the spring and summer seasons (May to August) with more than 450 species. The most dominant species belong to Polychaetes and the top five of them accounted for more than 20% of the total number of populations. The top five species were Heteromastus filiformis, Scoletoma longifolia, Sigambra tentaculata, Sternaspis scutata, and Notomastus latericeus. Cluster analysis was performed on the top five dominant species. The stations were clustered into three groups with similar locations on the West, South, and East Sea. Cluster 1 and 3 represent Heteromastus filiformis (44% each), but cluster 2 represents Scoletoma longifolia (66%). Each cluster has different benthic environmental characteristics, especially in the sediment's sand (31.0%, 51.9%) and clay (15.9%, 9.7%) contents.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.962-970
• /
• 2022

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that highly increases the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and there are few therapeutic options available in the clinic. Poricoic acid (PoA), a component of Poria cocos Wolf, has a wide range of pharmacological activities; however, little is known about its effects on NASH. The preventive effects of PoA on NASH were examined in vivo and in vitro by analyzing triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis. In the high fat and methionine-choline deficient diet (HFMCD)-induced NASH mice, PoA reduced the liver weight and the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase compared with non-treated HFMCD group. The staining with Oil Red O and hematoxylin and eosin revealed that PoA administration reduced red staining and the size of lipid droplet. qPCR analysis showed that PoA also reduced the expression of genes related to triglyceride synthesis. Further, immunostaining with CD68 and qPCR analysis revealed that PoA reduced the staining with CD68 and the expression of inflammatory genes induced by HFMCD. Moreover, PoA reduced the staining with sirius red and antibody of α-smooth muscle actin and also reduced the expression of genes related to fibrosis. The treatment of PoA to AML12 cells reduced the increase in triglyceride amount and expression of genes associated with triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis. Taken together, our study indicate that PoA has therapeutic effect on NASH through preventing triglyceride synthesis, inflammation and fibrosis.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.929-937
• /
• 2022

To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the grains of sorghum, three Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench variants (Hwanggeumchal, Huinchal, and Chal) being cultivated in Korea, the 80% ethanol (EtOH) extracts of individual sorghum grains were compared for their inhibitory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell line. Among them, the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains could exert the highest inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced NO production. However, under these conditions, the viability of RAW264.7 cells was not affected. When the EtOH extract of sorghum Hwanggeumchal grains was sequentially fractionated with n-hexane, methylene chloride (MC), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and n-butanol, the anti-NO production activity was predominantly detected in both MC and EtOAc fractions. In particular, treatment with the MC fraction reduced dose-dependently the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Simultaneously, the MC fraction could prevent LPS-induced activating phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). HPLC analysis of the MC fraction showed gentisic acid and naringenin as the major phenolic components. Both gentisic acid and naringenin commonly exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells. Together, these results provide the evidence of the inhibitory activity of Hwanggeumchal grains on LPS-induce inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells and also suggest that sorghum grains possess beneficial health effects which can be applicable in development of the grain-based functional foods.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.485-496
• /
• 2022

Modern agriculture is being transformed into smart agriculture to maximize production efficiency along with changes in the 4th industrial revolution. However, rural areas in Korea are facing challenges of aging, low fertility, and population outflow, making it difficult to transition to smart agriculture. Among ICT technologies, simulation allows users to observe or experience the results of their choices through imitation or reproduction of reality. The combination of the three-dimension (3D) model and the greenhouse simulator enable a 3D experience by virtual greenhouse for fruits and vegetable cultivation. At the same time, it is possible to visualize the greenhouse under various cultivation or climate conditions. The objective of this study is to apply the greenhouse climate management model for simulation development that can visually see the state of the greenhouse environment under various micrometeorological properties. The numerical solution with the mathematical model provided a dynamic change in the greenhouse environment for a particular greenhouse design. Light intensity, crop transpiration, heating load, ventilation rate, the optimal amount of CO₂ enrichment, and daily light integral were calculated with the simulation. The results of this study are being built so that users can be linked through a web page, and software will be designed to reflect the characteristics of cladding materials and greenhouses, cultivation types, and the condition of environmental control facilities for customized environmental control. In addition, environmental information obtained from external meteorological data, as well as recommended standards and set points for each growth stage based on experiments and research, will be provided as optimal environmental factors. This simulation can help growers, students, and researchers to understand the ICT technologies and the changes in the greenhouse microclimate according to the growing conditions.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.497-503
• /
• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the horticultural media + decomposed granite + reused rock wool in the following mixing ratio: Control = 100:0, M1 = 80:0:20, M2 = 60:30:10, M3 = 40:30:30, M4 = 30:40:30, M5 = 0:50:50 (reused rockwool : decomposed granite : horticultural media) and develop the physicochemical properties and the growth of 'Sulhyang' strawberry runner plant. In the physical aspect of the horticultural media, statistical differences were recognized that the bulk density and particle density were lower in the control and M1. But the bulk density and particle density were high in the M3, M4, and M5, because it had high mixing ratio between recycled rock wool and decomposed granite. EAW and WBC showed a similar tendency. The air porosity and total porosity were higher in control and M1 than M3, M4, M5. Exchangeable cation (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺) and base replacement capacity (CEC) were higher in control and M1, than M2, M3, M4, and M5. As a result of the cultivation of 'Sulhyang' runner plant, the plant length was long in M2, 32.1 cm and smaller than M5 to 28.4 cm. However, if the crown diameter, which is the growth indicator of the runner plant, all 6 treatments were formed 11.23 mm-12.03 mm, which is considered to be suitable for the growth of the runner plant. There wasn't a statistical difference between the weight and dry weight of the root. As a result, the growth difference of the seedlings by the horticulture media was similar. Therefore, considering the physical properties of the horticultural media, it was judged that the air porosity and total porosity would be improved when the recycled rock wool and the decomposed granite were properly mixed rather than the use of the horticultural media as a single medium, which would be advantageous for irrigation management.