• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.181-186
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• 2006

Background: Although cervical epidural block can be a useful therapeutic treatment for head, neck and upper extremities pain, there is no consensus regarding the volume of injection required for pain management. Herein, the spreading in the vertebral segments after a cervical epidural injection of either a 5 or 10 ml volume was studied. Methods: A total of 78 patients, suffering from head, neck and upper extremity pain, were selected. Cervical epidural blocks were performed consecutively with 5 ml (n = 42) and 10 ml (n = 36) of 0.4% mepivacaine and 222 mg I/ml iopamidol at the C7⁣-T1 levels. Both anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs were obtained under fluoroscopy, and the upper and lower epidural spreading of the contrast media in relation to the vertebral level was evaluated. Results: The cervical epidural blocks were performed without complications. The rostral spreading of the contrast media in the vertebral segments in groups 1 and 2 were $5.6{\pm}1.1$ and $6.1{\pm}1.1$, respectively. The caudal spreading of the contrast media in the vertebral segments in groups 1 and 2 were $5.4{\pm}3.4$ and $7.2{\pm}3.9$, respectively. The total numbers of segments with vertebral spreading of the contrast media in both directions showed significant differences between the two groups. The numbers of patients who showed spreading of the contrast media up to C2 vertebral segment showed no significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: 5 and 10 ml epidural injection volumes may be adequate for the spread of contrast media to the entire cervical spine. A 5 ml epidural injection volume, compared to a 10 ml volume, may be ample when considering the possibility of unnecessary caudal spreading of drugs and volume related complications in the management of head, neck and upper extremity pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.143-147
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• 2007

Background: The safety of cervical transforaminal epidural block has been the subject of debate, therefore, this study was conducted to measure the angle of the cervical transforaminal axis and to investigate its relationship to the internal jugular vein, internal carotid artery and vertebral artery. Methods: One hundred cases of cervical MRI were reviewed. The angle between a line passing through the center of the vertebral body and spinous process and a line passing through the center of the lamina in C3-4, C4-5 and C5-6 was measured and designated as A-degree. Additionally, we drew a line at the back of the vertebral artery that ran parallel to a line passing through the center of the lamina, which was presented as A-line. We then examined the distribution of the area in which the internal jugular vein and the internal carotid artery were located. Results: The mean values of the A-degree in C3-4, C4-5 and C5-6 were $53.5{\pm}4.3$, $54.2{\pm}4.6$ and $54.3{\pm}4.8$, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among age groups or vertebral levels (ANOVA test, P > 0.05). The A-line was distributed primarily throughout zone 3, 4, and 5 in C3-4 and zone 5 in C4-5 and C5-6. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the mean values of A-degree were not statistically different among each age group and each vertebral level. However, the A-line may be located in the zone in which the internal jugular vein and the internal carotid artery lie and individual differences in the A-degree remain.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권7호
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• pp.907-915
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• 2001

Objective : Percutaneous vertebroplasty is often complicated by the presence of multiple fractures or non-localizing pain in the patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures. The purpose of this study is to estimate the value of preoperative radiologic studies in the localization of symptomatic vertebrae and to determine the factors which can influence on the clinical results. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiologic data of 57 vertebrae in 30 patients underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Inclusion criteria was severe pain(McGill-Melzack score 3, 4 or 5) associated with the acute vertebral fractures and absence of spinal nerve root or cord compression sign. Acute symptomatic vertebral fracture was determined by the presence of signal change on MR images or increased uptake on whole body bone scan. Results : Pain improvement was obtained immediately in all patients and favorable result was sustained in 26 patients(86.7%) during the mean follow-up duration of 4.7 months(5 complete pain relief, 21 marked pain relief). Those who underwent vertebroplasty for all acute symptomatic vertebrae had significantly better clinical result than those who did not. Further vertebral collapse and eventual bursting fracture occurred in 1 vertebra which showed intradiskal leakage of bone cement and disruption of cortical endplate on postoperative CT scan. Conclusion : Preoperative MR imaging and whole body bone scan are very useful in determining the symptomatic vertebrae, especially in the patients with multiple osteoporotic vertebral fractures. To obtain favorable clinical result, the careful radiologic evaluation as well as clinical assessment is required. Control of PMMA volume seems to be the most critical point for avoiding complications.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.62-73
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vertebral venous congestion (VVC) in patients with chemoport insertion, evaluate the imaging characteristics of nodular VVC, and identify the factors associated with VVC. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study was based on follow-up contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) of 1412 adult patients who underwent chemoport insertion between January 2016 and December 2016. The prevalence of venous stenosis, reflux, and VVC were evaluated. The imaging features of nodular VVC, including specific locations within the vertebral body, were analyzed. To identify the factors associated with VVC, patients with VVC were compared with a subset of patients without VVC who had been followed up for > 3 years without developing VVC after chemoport insertion. Toward this, a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: After excluding 333 patients, 1079 were analyzed (mean age ± standard deviation, 62.3 ± 11.6 years; 540 females). The prevalence of VVC was 5.8% (63/1079), with all patients (63/63) demonstrating vertebral venous reflux and 67% (42/63) with innominate vein stenosis. The median interval between chemoport insertion and VVC was 515 days (interquartile range, 204-881 days). The prevalence of nodular VVC was 1.5% (16/1079), with a mean size of 5.9 ± 3.1 mm and attenuation of 784 ± 162 HU. Nodular VVC tended to be located subcortically. Forty-four patients with VVC underwent CT examinations with contrast injections in both arms; the VVC disappeared in 70% (31/44) when the contrast was injected in the arm contralateral to the chemoport site. Bevacizumab use was independently associated with VVC (odds ratio, 3.45; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of VVC and nodular VVC was low in patients who underwent chemoport insertion. Nodular VVC was always accompanied by vertebral venous reflux and tended to be located subcortically. To avoid VVC, contrast injection in the arm contralateral to the chemoport site is preferred.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.89-96
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• 2003

A vertebral cage is a hollow medical device which is used in spine forgery. By implanting the cage into the spine column, it is possible to restore disc and relieve pressure on the nerve roots. Most cages have been made of titanium alloys but they detract the biocompatibility. Currently PEEK (polyether ether ketone) if applied to various implants because it has good properties like heat resistance, chemical resistance, strength, and especially biocompatibility. A new shape of vertebral cage is designed and injection molding of PEEK is considered for production. Before injection molding of the cage, it is needed to evaluate process conditions and properties of the final product. Variables affecting the shrinkage of the cage are considered, e.g., injection time, packing pressure, mold temperature, and melt temperature. By using the numerical simula-tion program, MOLDFLOW, several cases are studied. Data files obtained by MOLDFLOW analysis are used for stress anal-ysis with ABAQUS, and shrinkage and residual stress fields are predicted. With these results, optimum process conditions are determined.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.447-451
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• 2001

With the exception of gun shot wound, the incidence of penetrating injury of face and neck areas nonorganic foreign bodies is relative low. But the diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management of penetrating facial wounds need careful decision, when the anatomic proximity of the major vessels and nerve is considered. Penetrating facial trauma with concomitant vascular injury present challenging problems, the immediate complication of this vascular injury are severe bleeding, hematoma formation, shock, obstruction of airway. The vascular injury is conformed by angiography. In this report, a industrial tool(long tack) fired by explosive air is penetrated into face and to neck. In angiograms penetrating injury of the vertebral artery is detected. We performed the embolization of the vertebral artery with coils and manual removal of the foreign body without any complication was followed.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2005년도 춘계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.907-910
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• 2005

Although several artificial disc designs have been developed for the treatment of discogenic low back pain, biomechanical change with its implantation was rarely studied. To evaluate the effect of artificial disc implantation on the biomechanics of functional spinal unit, nonlinear three-dimensional finite element model of L4-L5 was developed with 1-mm CT scan data. Two models implanted with artificial discs, SB $Charit\acute{e}$ or Prodisc, via anterior approach were also developed. The implanted model predictions were compared with that of intact model. Angular motion of vertebral body, force on spinal ligaments and facet joint, and the stress distribution of vertebral endplate for flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation with a compressive preload of 400 N were compared. The implanted model showed increased flexion-extension range of motion and increased force in the vertically oriented ligaments, such as ligamentum flavum, supraspinous ligament and interspinous ligament. The increase of facet contact force on extension were greater in implanted models. The incresed stress distribution on vertebral endplate for implanted cases indicated that additinal bone growth around vertebral body and this is matched well with clinical observation. With axial rotation moment, relatively less axial rotation were observed in SB $Charit\acute{e}$ model than in ProDisc model.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2006

Unexpected postoperative changes, such as growth in rib hump and shoulder unbalance, have been occasionally reported after corrective surgery for scoliosis. However there has been neither experimental data fer explanation of these changes, nor the suggestion of optimal correction method. Therefore, the numerical study was designed to investigate the post-operative changes of vertebral rotation and rib cage deformation after the corrective surgery of scoliosis. A mathematical finite element model of normal spine including rib cage, sternum, both clavicles, and pelvis was developed with anatomical details. In this study, we also developed a special program which could convert a normal spine model to a desired scoliotic spine model automatically. A personalized skeletal deformity of scoliosis model was reconstructed with X-ray images of a scoliosis patient from the normal spine structures and rib cage model. The geometric mapping was performed by translating and rotating the spinal column with an amount analyzed from the digitized 12 built-in coordinate axes in each vertebral image. By utilizing this program, problems generated in mapping procedure such as facet joint overlapping, vertebral body deformity could be automatically resolved.

• 한국정밀공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정밀공학회 2004년도 추계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.1278-1281
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• 2004

Several workers reported the relationship between osteoporosis and age-related reductions in the BV/TV (bone volume fraction) of vertebral trabecular bones. However, there were few micro finite element (micro-FE) models to account for the treatments of the osteoporotic trabecular bone. In the present study, micro-FE models of osteoporotic and hormone-treated bone models were constructed to analyze the effect of specimen location and boundary condition on mechanical characteristics of hormone treatment model for osteoporotic trabecular bone. Top and bottom sections of specimens were also investigated individually to study the effect of specimen location. Hormone-treated models were allowed to have the same relative BV/TV (13.4％) as that used in models of previous researchers. The present study reported the elastic and plastic characteristics of the osteoporosis and hormone-treated bone models. In the present study, in-situ boundary condition was applied to the simulated compression tests for in-vivo condition of vertebral trabecular bone. The present study indicated that the hormone therapy was likely to improve the mechanical characteristics of osteoporotic bones and the mechanical characteristics of vertebral trabecular bone specimen were dependent on the captured location and boundary condition.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.350-354
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of this study is to assess the immediate and long-term efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty for treating painful vertebral osteoporotic fractures. Methods : A retrospective review of 149patients who had undergone 167 vertebroplasty procedures for osteoporotic fractures was performed. Clinical, radiologic, and procedural datas were analyzed as parameters of prognostic significance, including age, sex, bone marrow density score, symptom duration, bone cement filling grade, number of fractured vertebrae, compression grade of vertebrae, leakage of bone cement, volume of bone cement injected and complications. Results : In 158 of the 167 procedures assessed, immediate pain relief was obtained [94.6%]. The extent of collapse of the vertebral body was assessed as a parameter for prognostic significance [p=0.015]. Three months postoperatively, no improvement of the pain was observed in four of the 167 procedures that had undergone the vertebroplasty [2%]. At long-term follow-up, the improvement of pain was not correlated with the compression grade of vertebrae [p=0.420]. Conclusion : The immediate outcome of vertebroplasty are less effective in vertebrae more collapsed.