• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.88-99
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• 2021

Objective : The treatment of choice for spinal epidural abscess (SEA) generally is urgent surgery in combination with intravenous antibiotic treatment. However, the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment has not been established to date, although 4-8 weeks is generally advised. Moreover, some researchers have reported that bacteremia is a risk factor for failure of antibiotic treatment in SEA. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of SEA accompanied by bacteremia and also determined whether the conventional 4-8 weeks of antibiotic treatment is sufficient. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological data of 23 patients with bacterial SEA who underwent open surgery from March 2010 to April 2020. All patients had bacteremia preoperatively and underwent weeks of perioperative antibiotic treatments based on their identified organisms until all symptoms of infection disappeared. All patients underwent microbiological studies of peripheral blood, specimens from SEA and concomitant infections. The mean follow-up duration was 35.2 months, excluding three patients who died. Results : The male : female ratio was 15 : 8, and the mean age was 68.9 years. The SEA most commonly involved the lumbar spinal segment (73.9%), and the mean size was 2.9 vertebral body lengths. Mean time periods of 8.4 days and 16.6 days were required from admission to diagnosis and from admission to surgery, respectively. Concomitant infections more frequently resulted in delayed diagnosis (p=0.032), masking the symptoms of SEA. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly identified pathogen in both blood and surgical specimens. Seventeen patients (73.9%) showed no deficits at the final follow-up. The overall antibiotic treatment duration was a mean of 66.6 days, excluding three patients who died. This duration was longer than the conventionally advised 4-8 weeks (p=0.010), and psoas or paraspinal abscess required prolonged duration of antibiotic treatment (p=0.038). Conclusion : SEA accompanied by bacteremia required a longer duration (>8 weeks) of antibiotic treatment. In addition, the diagnosis was more frequently delayed in patients with concomitant infections. The duration of antibiotic treatment should be extended for SEA with bacteremia, and a high index of suspicion is mandatory for early diagnosis, especially in patients with concomitant infections.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.235-239
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• 2022

A 10-year-old neutered male Siberian Husky presented with paraparesis and severe lethargy. On physical examination, the patient was unable to weight-bear and walk and exhibited significant muscle mass loss in both hindlimbs and generalized truncal alopecia with a dull coat of hair. On neurological examination, cranial lumbar vertebral pain, hind limb cross-extensor reflex, delayed hindlimb postural reaction, upper motor neuron bladder dysfunction, and total absence of cutaneous trunci reflex were identified. Computed tomography revealed diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and spondylosis deformans of the cervical and thoracolumbar vertebrae. In addition, a generalized decrease in bone mineral density of the vertebrae was identified. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperplasia of the epidural fat compressing the spinal cord in the thoracolumbar region and concurrent mild multiple intervertebral disc herniations. No specific findings were observed in cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Blood analysis of thyroid function revealed decreased total T4 and free T4 levels, and increased TSH levels. The patient was tentatively diagnosed with spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) secondary to hypothyroidism. The patient was treated with levothyroxine, firocoxib, and gabapentin. Clinical signs gradually improved, and the patient showed normal ambulation 40 days after treatment initiation. SEL is extremely rare in dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of SEL secondary to hypothyroidism that was treated conservatively. Secondary SEL can be sufficiently managed by treating the underlying cause, if possible.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.240-245
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• 2022

A 15-year-old, neutered male, Shih-Tzu, was presented at the Chonnam National Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for evaluation of acute onset of persistent coughing, exercise intolerance, and abnormal heart sound. On thoracic auscultation, a split-second heart sound and a wheezing sound were detected on both sides of the chest walls. On physical examination, the dog's body condition score (BCS) was 7/9, and had stenotic nares. Thoracic radiographs revealed right-sided enlargement of the cardiac silhouette (vertebral heart score (VHS) 11.2; reference interval = 8.9-10.1), mild main pulmonary artery (MPA) bulging, mild interstitial infiltration, and hepatomegaly. The electrocardiogram showed right axis deviation, suggesting right ventricular hypertrophy. The echocardiographic study showed moderate pulmonary hypertension and moderate tricuspid regurgitation. There were no findings of a tracheobronchial disease, pulmonary thromboembolism, congenital shunt, left heart disease, or parasitic disease. Based on clinical signs and diagnostic findings, the dog was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension secondary to brachycephalic syndrome. To rectify respiratory exacerbating factors, the dog was recommended weight control by restricting dietary intake and managing concurrent Cushing's syndrome. Treatments included sildenafil, pimobendan, furosemide, and ramipril. After five months of taking medications and weight control, the severity of pulmonary hypertension improved from moderate to mild. The clinical signs of the patient, including coughing and exercise intolerance, improved a lot. For 5 months of follow-up, the patient has not reported further recurrence of respiratory distress.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.230-235
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• 2022

Background: Unstable distal clavicles experience high non-union rates, prompting surgeons to recommend surgery for more predictable outcomes. There is a lack of consensus on the optimal method of surgical fixation, with an array of techniques described in the literature. We describe an alternative method of fixation involving the use of a distal clavicular anatomical locking plate with Fibertape cerclage augmentation in our series of patients. Methods: Nine patients (8 males and 1 female), with a mean age of 36 years, who sustained unstable fracture of the distal clavicle in our institution were treated with our described technique. Postoperative range of motion, functional and pain scores, and time to radiographic union were measured over a mean follow-up period of 10 months. Incidences of postoperative complications were also recorded. Results: At the last patient consult, the mean visual analog scale score was 0.88±0.35, with a mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score of 1.46±0.87 and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score of 94.1±3.57. The mean range of motion achieved was forward flexion at 173°±10.6°, abduction at 173°±10.6°, and external rotation at 74.4°±10.5°. All patients achieved internal rotation at a vertebral height of at least L2 with radiographical union at a mean of 10 weeks. No removal of implants was required. Conclusions: Our described technique of augmented fixation of the distal clavicle is effective, produces good clinical outcomes, and has minimal complications.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.230-237
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• 2020

Objective: To investigate the physical appearance and therapeutic changes that occur with the performance of Schroth exercise in patients with scoliosis. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Fifteen subjects with maximum curvature of the lumbar who were diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis had volunteered to participate in the study. Eight subjects were included in the experimental group where they performed the Schroth Therapeutic Exercise and the other seven were included in the control group. The experimental group underwent 2 hours of weekly treatment for 12 weeks, while the control group did not during the same period based on the decisions of patients or guardians. The Mann-Whitney rank test was carried out to compare the treatment results of the two groups, and the comparison within the group was done by Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The vertebral rotation angle (VRA) was by Scoliometer, and difference of rotated and curved portion volume (DV) between both sides on the major curvature portion measured by 3D human body scanning system. Results: In the experimental group, 12 weeks of Schroth exercise therapy has significant improved in correction rate (CR) in Cobb's angle (CA), VRA, and DV between both sides on the major curvature portion (p<0.05), while significant differences were not found between the groups regarding weight bearing difference in both feet (WD) and DV (p<0.05). Conclusions: Schroth exercise performance showed significant changes in the patient's therapeutic changes (CA, VRA), but the physical appearance (DV, WD) was not significant, indicating that external changes in the treatment goal setting are more difficult goals to achieve.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.294-304
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• 2021

Ankylosing spondylitis causes ankylosis of the spine due to ossification of the articular cartilage and ligaments around the vertebral body as well as the sacroiliac joint. This pathophysiology limits joint movement and, in many cases, causes pain and deformity of the spine. If this disease is left untreated, it ultimately causes ankylosis and ossification of the whole-body joints. The symptoms generally develop before age 30 years, and the gradual progression of the disease adversely affects the physical function, professional ability, and quality of life. This increases the likelihood of developing psychiatric disorders, such as depression. The authors are aware of this severity and introduce recent trends and studies to prevent surgical treatment with various medications before systemic ossification. This paper presents various surgical treatments and complications in patients who were unable to prevent progression and underwent surgical treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.104-112
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• 2023

The change in the position of the abdominal organs due to movement by respiration is one of the reasons behind inaccurate irradiation of organs during radiotherapy (RT). Although studies in human medicine have revealed on the respiratory movements of abdominal organs, there is little information and no reference data for dogs. The purpose of this study was to establish the reference values of abdominal organs movement in various postures using computed tomography (CT), and to compare the movements of organs between dorsal recumbency and ventral, right and left lateral recumbency during respiration. CT images for kidney, adrenal gland, medial iliac lymph node, urinary bladder, gallbladder, liver, stomach, and thoracic and lumbar vertebral body of five beagle dogs were acquired. The movements of organs were evaluated by comparing the end-expiratory and end-inspiratory images. Movements of the organs were evaluated by dividing it into right-to-left, dorsal-to-ventral, and cranial-to-caudal directions. The movements of abdominal organs according to the change in postures and respiration were establish. The movement of the bilateral organs was the least when the organs were in the downward position (p < 0.017). The movement of cranial-to-caudal direction was greater than the movement of the other directions in most of the organs. Data obtained in this study may be useful in selecting the appropriate posture that can reduce the movements of organs to be treated with RT, and the data could be useful for setting the planning target volume to consider the movements of the abdominal organs by respiration.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2023

Objective : The present study aimed to determine the topical and systemic efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) on epidural fibrosis in a rat laminectomy model. Methods : Thirty-two 12-month-old adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. Each rat underwent bilateral laminectomy at the L1 and L2 vertebral levels. Rats were divided into four groups : in group I (control group, n=8), a laminectomy was performed and saline solution was applied into the surgical space. In group II (topical group, n=8), laminectomy was performed and 30 mg/kg TXA was applied to the surgical site before skin closure. In group III (systemic group, n=8), 30 mg/kg TXA was administered intravenously via the tail vein in the same session as the surgical procedure. In group IV (topical and systemic group, n=8), TXA was administered 30 mg/kg both topical and intravenous. The rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks postoperatively. Masson's trichrome and hematoxylin and eosin were used to assess acute inflammatory cells, chronic inflammatory cells, vascular proliferation, and epidural fibrosis. Results : Epidural fibrosis, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, and sum histologic score value were significantly lower in the systemic TXA group, systemic and topical TXA groups than in the control group (p<0.05). In addion, the sum histologic score was significantly lower in the topical TXA group than in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion : In this study, epidural fibrosis formation was prevented more by systemic application, but the topical application was found to be effective when compared to the control group. As a result, we recommend the systemic and topical use of TXA to prevent epidural fibrosis during spinal surgery.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2023

Purpose: Sports offer several health benefits but are not free of injury risk. Activity dynamics vary across sports, impacting the injury profile and thereby influencing healthcare resource utilization and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate sports-related major trauma cases and compare differences across sports and activity groups. Methods: A retrospective case notes review of sports-related major traumas over a 5-year period was conducted. Demographic, hospital episode-related, and health outcome-related data were analyzed, and differences were compared across sports and activity groups. The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at discharge was used as the primary outcome measure and the length of hospital stay as the secondary outcome measure. Results: In total, 76% of cases had good recovery at discharge (GOS, 5), 19% had moderate disability (GOS, 4), and 5% had severe disability (GOS, 3). The mean length of hospital stay was 11.2 days (range, 1-121 days). The most severely injured body region was the limbs (29.1%) and vertebral/spinal injuries were most common (33%) in terms of location. A significant difference (P<0.05) existed in GOS across sports groups, with motor sports having the lowest GOS. However, no significant differences (P>0.05) were found in other health-outcome variables or injury patterns across sports or activity groups, although more competitive sports cases (67%) required admission than recreational sports cases (33%). Conclusions: Spinal injuries are the most frequent sports injuries, bear the worst health outcomes, and warrant better preventive measures. Head injuries previously dominated the worst outcomes; this change is likely due to better preventive and management modalities. Competitive sports had a higher injury frequency than recreational sports, but no difference in health outcomes or injury patterns.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.112-122
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to present and evaluate a new deep learning model for determining cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) degree and growth spurts by analyzing lateral cephalometric radiographs. Methods: The study sample included 890 cephalograms. The images were classified into six cervical stages independently by two orthodontists. The images were also categorized into three degrees on the basis of the growth spurt: pre-pubertal, growth spurt, and post-pubertal. Subsequently, the samples were fed to a transfer learning model implemented using the Python programming language and PyTorch library. In the last step, the test set of cephalograms was randomly coded and provided to two new orthodontists in order to compare their diagnosis to the artificial intelligence (AI) model's performance using weighted kappa and Cohen's kappa statistical analyses. Results: The model's validation and test accuracy for the six-class CVM diagnosis were 62.63% and 61.62%, respectively. Moreover, the model's validation and test accuracy for the three-class classification were 75.76% and 82.83%, respectively. Furthermore, substantial agreements were observed between the two orthodontists as well as one of them and the AI model. Conclusions: The newly developed AI model had reasonable accuracy in detecting the CVM stage and high reliability in detecting the pubertal stage. However, its accuracy was still less than that of human observers. With further improvements in data quality, this model should be able to provide practical assistance to practicing dentists in the future.