• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2020

Objectives: Long-term facial paralysis results in degeneration of the distal nerve segment and atrophy of the supplied muscles. Options for these patients include free muscle transfer, temporalis myoplasty, and botulinum toxin injections for smile reanimation. In this study we aimed to evaluate the subjective and objective outcomes of these procedures. Materials and Methods: In our study, we retrospectively analyzed smile symmetry in patients with facial palsy (n=8) who underwent facial reanimation procedures. Results: Subjective analysis showed high satisfaction in seven out of eight patients. Objective analysis showed statistically significant improvement postoperatively in both vertical and horizontal smile symmetry at rest and during maximum smile (P<0.001). Conclusion: Choosing the ideal procedure for the patients is the most critical aspect for facial reanimation. Though free muscle transfer is considered gold standard procedure, temporalis myoplasty also gives satisfactory results. Residual synkinesis which can lead to disturbing aesthetic deformity can be effectively treated with botulinum toxin.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2009

Objective: To report an unsuspected adaptive plasticity of single upper motor neurons and of primary motor cortex found after microsurgical connection of the spinal cord with peripheral nerve via grafts in paraplegics and focussed discussion of the reviewed literature. Methods: The research aimed at making paraplegics walk again, after 20 years of experimental surgery in animals. Amongst other things, animal experiments demonstrated the alteration of the motor endplates receptors from cholinergic to glutamatergic induced by connection with upper motor neurons. The same paradigm was successfully performed in paraplegic humans. The nerve grafts were put into the ventral-lateral spinal tract randomly, with out possibility of choosing the axons coming from different areas of the motor cortex. Results: The patient became able to selectively activate the re-innervated muscles she wanted without concurrent activities of other muscles connected with the same cortical areas. Conclusion: Authors believe that unlike in nerve or tendon transfers, where the whole cortical area corresponding to the transfer changes its function a phenomenon that we call "brain plasticity by areas". in our paradigm due to the direct connection of upper motor neurons with different peripheral nerves and muscles via nerve grafts motor learning occurs based on adaptive neuronal plasticity so that simultaneous contractions of other muscles are prevented. We propose to call it adaptive functional "plasticity by single neurons". We speculate that this phenomenon is due to the simultaneous activation of neurons spread in different cortical areas for a given specific movement, whilst the other neurons of the same areas connected with peripheral nerves of different muscles are not activated at the same time. Why different neurons of the same area fire at different times according to different voluntary demands remains to be discovered. We are committed to solve this enigma hereafter.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2004

We retrospectively reviewed the cases of peroneal nerve palsy in seven patients after musculoskeletal tumor resection. Their mean age was 38 years. Three had osteosarcoma in proximal fibula, 2 had chondrosarcoma in proximal fibula and calf and 2 had malignant fibrous histio cytoma in calf. Four of 7 patients had been managed using active dorsiflexion brace. Three patients who underwent tibialis posterior transfer and could walk without brace were able to discontinue the use of the orthosis. Peroneal nerve palsy after wide excision of tumor including peroneal nerve can not resolve spontaneously and results in severe functional disability. To improve the gait function, active surgical treatment should be considered.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 2005

The goal in facial paralysis treatment is to achieve the normal appearance of the face as well as to reconstruct the natural symmetrical smile. In cases of facial paralysis, a widely accepted procedure is the two stage method, which combines neurovascular free muscle transfer with cross face nerve grafting. Although the results are promising, the two operations of this method, which are about 1 year apart, impose an economic burden on the patients and require a lengthy period before results are obtained. In order to overcome these drawbacks, one stage method, using latissimus dorsi neurovascuular free muscle flap was introduced. Between January 2000 and January 2004, fifteen patients with long standing facial paralysis were treated in the Korea University Anam Hospital. The segmental latissimus dorsi with long nerve and pedicle was transferred to the paralyzed side of the face. The first postoperative movement of the transferred muscle was reported at 8.9 months, faster than that of the two stage method. During the next 24 months, a constant increase in the power of muscle contraction was observed. The fifteen cases were evaluated within an average of 31.7 months following the surgery and satisfactory results including muscle contraction were obtained in eleven of the cases but muscle contraction was not found in three cases.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

In unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) patients, we try to improve their symptoms such as hoarseness or aspiration by restoring nerve functions or medialization laryngoplasty (ML), etc. Until now, ML (thyroplasty and/or arytenoid adduction) is considered as gold standard of treatment for UVFP. However, if recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is damaged and use of RLN is feasible during operation, laryngeal reinnervation (LR) would be a good option. Anastomosis with ansa cervicalis to RLN is most common reinnervation method. Delayed LR may be considered in young patients when the RLN denervation period is not long (less than 2 years) for the treatment of surgery-related UVFP. Injection laryngoplasty and laryngeal framework surgery showed great voice outcomes in UVFP. Combination therapy (neuromuscular pedicle innervation with ML) also showed good post-operative voice outcomes even in longer periods (over 2 years). In pediatric patients, LR would be considered as a good treatment option because all procedures need to general anesthesia.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.450-459
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• 2015

In this paper, the safety distances and maximum permissible power (MPP) of resonant wireless power transfer systems are defined and derived with regard to human exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF). The definition is based on the calculated induced current density and electric field in the standard human model located between the transmitting and receiving coil. In order to avoid the adverse health effects such as stimulation of nerve tissues, the induced current and electric field must not exceed the basic restriction values specified in EMF safety guidelines. The different combinations of diameters of the coils and the distance between the two coils are investigated and their effects are analyzed. Two versions of EMF safety guidelines (ICNIRP 1998 and ICNIRP 2010) are used as bases for safety distance calculation and the difference between the two guidelines are discussed.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.557-562
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• 2006

Purpose: Advanced carcinoma of the tongue is a devastating disease which may cause severe speech or swallowing dysfunction. But, none to date has provided all of the complex functions of the tongue. The purpose of this study is to review our experiences with individuals who underwent glossectomy followed by reconstruction using free tissue transfer. Methods: Between February 1998 and February 2005, twenty-four patients underwent glossectomy followed by free tissue transfer reconstruction. The defects of tongue caused by partial or subtotal glossectomy were reconstructed by means of radial forearm or lateral thigh free flap with nerve innervation. Especially for the patients who underwent total glossectomy, we reconstructed deglutition muscles anatomically with nerve reinnervation, a procedure that allows the grafted muscle to maintain good tongue bulk without obvious atrophy. Results: Patients were reviewed to determine their functional outcome as it related to speech, deglutition, and aspiration. All patients achieved oral intake of a soft diet and acceptable speech. Conclusion: Although reconstruction following glossectomy using free tissue transfer is not ideal, this procedure is safe and reliable, and provides predictable results. A future challenge is the development of a surgical procedure for reconstruction of a tongue that maintains mobility and sensation using neurotized flaps.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2009

Medially retracted large-sized rotator cuff tears includes large-sized tears, massive tears and irreparable tears. Generally arthroscopic repair or open repair of rotator cuff tears is used in reparable tears. However, arthroscopic repair requires long period practice and endurance. In irreparable tears, arthroscopic debridement, partial repair, latissimus dorsi transfer and retrograde arthroplasty can be the option. Arthoscopic debridement gives temporal relief who experienced improvement in pain and increase in range of motion after subacromial local anesthetic injection. Also arthroscopic partial repair gives good results in irreparable cases, especially in suprascapular nerve traction neurapraxia. Tendon transfer can be used in mild to moderate muscle weakness in shoulder abduction for long term treatment. Pectoralis major transfer can be used in anterosupeior tears and latissimus dorsi transfer can be used in posterosuperior tears. Reverse shoulder prosthesis is used in extreamly weakened shoulder pseudoparalysis. The authors discussed the method of arthroscopic repair in irreparable tears. The debridement, partial repair, and tendon transfer could be used in medially retracted large-sized rotator cuff tears.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1997

Complete denervation after severe brachial plexus injury make significant muscle atrophy with loss of proper function. It is much helpful to reconstruct the essential function of the elbow flexion movement in patient with total loss of elbow flexion motion after brachial plexus lesion which was not recovered with nerve surgery or long term conservative treatment from onset. In whole arm type brachial plexus injury, if there were no response to neurotization or neglected from injury, the volume of the denervated muscle is significantely reduced month by month. About 18 months most of the muscle fibers change to fibrous tissues and markedly atrophied irreversibly, further waiting is no more meaningful from that period. Authors performed 14 cases of functioning gracilis muscle transfer from 1981 to 1995 with microneurovascular technique, neuromusculocutaneous free flaps were performed for reconstruction of lost elbow flexion function. Average follow-up period was 5 years and 6 months. We used couple of intercostal nerves as a recipient nerve which were anastomosed to muscular nerve from obturator nerve in all cases. Recipient vessels were three deep brachial artery and eleven brachial artery which were anastomosed to medial femoral circumflex artery with end to end or end to side fashion. Average resting length of the transplanted gracilis were 24 cm. We can get average 54 degree flexion range of elbow with fair muscle power from flail elbow. There were one case of muscle necrosis with lately developed thrombosis of microvascular anastomosed site which comes from insufficient recipient arterial condition, 3 cases of partial marginal necrosis of distal skin of the transplanted part which were not significant problem with spontaneously solved with time goes by gracilis muscle has constant neurovascular pattern with relatively easy harvesting donor with minimal donor morbidity. Especially it has similar length and shape with biceps brachii muscle of upper arm and longer nerve pedicle which can neurorrhaphy with intercostal nerve without nerve graft if sufficient mobilization of the nerves from both sides of gracilis and intercostal region. Authors can propose gracilis muscle transplantation with intercostal nerves neurotization is helpful method with minimal donor morbidity for neglected brachial plexus palsy patients.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.131-136
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• 2001

Purpose : The sensory radial forearm flap is used to recover the soft tissue defect of hand and foot. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results after sensory reconstruction using sensate radial forearm flaps. Materials and Methods : There were 9 cases of 8 patients (6 males and 2 females). The 7 cases of 6 patients were donated to foot, the 2 cases of 2 patients to hand. At operation, the ages of them ranged from 18 to 63 years (mean: 37.9 years). Sensory evaluation was performed using percentage(%) of responding area to the pinprick test and the static and moving two-point discrimination test (s-2PD and m-2PD). Results : The mean percentage of responding area to the pin prick test was 48.5%. The mean s-2PD and m-2PD of recipient hands were 37.2 mm and 28.8 mm. The mean s-2PD and m-2PD of recipient feet were 46.7 mm and 45.0 mm. The mean s-2PD and m-2PD of controls were 23.5 mm and 19.7 mm. Conclusion : All the recipients were less sensitive than the control, but the recipient hands more sensitive than the recipient feet. Although the small numbers were studied, the results suggested that the recovery of sensation in the innervated flaps was influenced by the recipient nerve. So the donor nerve seems to be selected as more sensitive and more distal nerve of donor site for better outcome.