• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.594-602
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• 2019

Objective : Although surgical intervention, such as percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), is the standard treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs), its effectiveness and safety are unclear. Therefore, this study compared the safety and efficacy of conservative treatment with that of PVP for acute OVCFs. Methods : Patients with single-level OVCFs who were treated conservatively with a transdermal fentanyl patch (TFP) or with PVP between March 2013 and December 2017 and followed-up for more than 1 year were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with pathologic fractures, fractures of more than two columns, or a history of PVP were excluded. Clinical outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS] scores) and radiographic factors were evaluated, including changes in the compression rate of the corresponding vertebral body at onset and after 12 months, sagittal Cobb angle at onset and after 6 and 12 months, and the incidence of adjacent compression fractures. Results : Of the 131 patients evaluated, 75 were treated conservatively using TFPs and 56 underwent PVP. We divided the patients into TFP and PVP groups. Their baseline characteristics (including sex, level of fracture, and bone mineral density T-scores) were similar, but the TFP group was significantly younger. The overall VAS score for pain showed a greater decrease during the first month (1 week after PVP) in the PVP group but remained similar in the two groups thereafter. The compression rate after 12 months increased in the TFP group but decreased in the PVP group. Five patients in the PVP group, but none in the TFP group, experienced adjacent compression fractures within 12 months. Conclusion : We compared clinical and radiological outcomes between the TFP and PVP groups. The immediate pain reduction effect was superior in the PVP group, but the final clinical outcome was similar. Although the PVP group had a better-preserved compression rate than the TFP group for 1 year, the development of adjacent fractures was significantly higher. Although TFPs seemed to be beneficial in reducing the failure rate of conservative treatment, the possibility of side effects (22.6%, 17 out of 75 patients, in this study) should be carefully monitored.

• Journal of Bone Metabolism
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.195-211
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• 2018

Background: To develop guidelines and recommendations to prevent and treat glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) in Korea. Methods: The Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the Korean College of Rheumatology have developed this guideline based on Guidance for the Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines ver. 1.0 established by the National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency. This guideline was developed by adapting previously published guidelines, and a systematic review and quality assessment were performed. Results: This guideline applies to adults aged ${\geq}19years$ who are using or plan to use GCs. It does not include children and adolescents. An initial assessment of fracture risk should be performed within 6 months of initial GC use. Fracture risk should be estimated using the fracture-risk assessment tool (FRAX) after adjustments for GC dose, history of osteoporotic fractures, and bone mineral density (BMD) results. All patients administered with prednisolone or an equivalent medication at a dose ${\geq}2.5mg/day$ for ${\geq}3months$ are recommended to use adequate calcium and vitamin D during treatment. Patients showing a moderate-to-high fracture risk should be treated with additional medication for osteoporosis. All patients continuing GC therapy should undergo annual BMD testing, vertebral X-ray, and fracture risk assessment using FRAX. When treatment failure is suspected, switching to another drug should be considered. Conclusions: This guideline is intended to guide clinicians in the prevention and treatment of GIOP.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.327-335
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate the radiological efficacy of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmentation of pedicle screw operation in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) patients. Materials and Methods: Twenty OVCF patients, who underwent only posterior fusion using pedicle screws with PMMA augmentation, were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was 15.6 months. The demographic data, bone mineral density (BMD), fusion segments, number of pedicle screws, and amount of PMMA were reviewed as medical records. To analyze the radiological outcomes, the radiologic parameters were measured as the time serial follow-up (preoperation, immediately postoperation, postoperation 6 weeks, 3, 6 months, and 1 year follow-up). Results: A total of 20 patients were examined (16 females [80.0%]; mean age, 69.1±8.9 years). The average BMD was -2.5±0.9 g/cm². The average cement volume per vertebral body was 6.3 ml. The mean preoperative Cobb angle of focal kyphosis was 32.7°±7.0° and was improved significantly to 8.7°±6.9° postoperatively (p<0.001), with maintenance of the correction at the serial follow-up, postoperatively. The Cobb angle of instrumented kyphosis, wedge angle, and sagittal index showed similar patterns. In addition, the anterior part of fractured vertebral body height averaged 11.0±5.0 mm and was improved to 18.5±5.7 mm postoperatively (p=0.006), with maintenance of the improvement at the 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: The reinforcement of pedicle screws using PMMA augmentation may be a feasible surgical technique for OVCF. Moreover, it appears to be appropriate for improving the focal thoracolumbar/lumbar kyphosis and is maintained well after surgery.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.222-229
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes after fixation using a 3.5-mm locking compression plate (LCP) hook plate for isolated greater tuberosity (GT) fractures of the proximal humerus. Methods: We evaluated the postoperative radiological and clinical outcomes in nine patients who were followed up at least 1 year with isolated GT fractures. Using the deltopectoral approach, we fixed the displaced GT fragments with a 3.5-mm LCP hook plate (Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA). Depending on the fracture patterns, the hook plate was fixed with or without augmentation using either tension suture or suture anchor fixation. Results: All the patient showed successful bone union. The mean time-to-union was 11 weeks. The radiological and clinical outcomes at the final follow-up were generally satisfactory. The mean visual analogue scale for pain, the University of California at Los Angeles score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and the subjective shoulder value were 1.4, 30.3, 84.3, and 82.2%, respectively. The mean active forward flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation of the shoulder were $156.7^{\circ}$, $152.2^{\circ}$, $61.1^{\circ}$, and the 10th thoracic vertebral level, respectively. Only one patient presented with a postoperative complication of shoulder stiffness. The patient was treated through arthroscopic capsular release on the 5th postoperative month. Conclusions: We conclude that fixation using 3.5-mm LCP hook plates for isolated GT fractures of the proximal humerus is a useful treatment method that provides satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.363-366
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• 2007

Objective : Kyphoplasty performed in the middle thoracic spine presents technical challenges that differ from those in the lower thoracic or lumbar region due to small pedicle size and angular severity for thoracic kyphosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of balloon kyphoplasty through extrapedicular approach for the treatment of intractable osteoporotic compression fractures in the middle thoracic spine. Methods : The patients who were performed with one level balloon kyphoplasty through extrapedicular approach due to painful osteoporotic compression fractures at T5-T8 from June 2003 to July 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. Imaging and clinical features were analyzed including involved vertebrae level, vertebral height, Injected cement volume, clinical outcome and complications. Results : Eighteen female patients (age ranged from 60 to 77 years old) were included in this study. The average amount of the implanted cement was $4.2{\pm}1.5\;cc$. The mean cobb angle and compression rate were improved from $12.1{\pm}6.5^{\circ}$ to $8.5{\pm}7.2^{\circ}$ and from 30% to 15%, respectively. The mean pain score (visual analogue scale) prior to kyphoplasty was 7.9 and it decreased to 3.0 after the procedure. Cement leakage to the adjacent disc (2 cases) and paravertebral soft tissues (1 case) were seen but there were no major complications such as pneumothorax, segmental arte 이 Injury, pulmonary embolism, or epidural leakage. Conclusion : Balloon kyphoplasty through extrapedicular approach is considered as a safe and effective in treating the middle thoracic regions with low complication rate.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 1996

Spinal cord injury in child often occurs without evidence of fracture or dislocation. The mechanisms of neural damage in this syndrome of spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality(SCIWORA) include flexion, hyperextension, longitudinal distraction, and ischemia. Inherent elasticity of the vertebral column in infants and young children, among other age-related anatomical peculiarities, render the pediatric spine exceedingly vulnerable to deforming forces. The neurological lesions encountered in this syndrome include a high incidence of complete and severe partial cord lesions. Children younger than 8years old sustain more serious neurological damage and suffer a larger number of upper cervical cord lesions than children aged over 8 years. Of the children with SCIWORA. 52% have delayed onset of paralysis up to 4 days after injury, and most of these children recall transient paresthesia, numbness, or subjective paralysis. The long-term prognosis in cases of SCIWORA is grim. Most children with complete and severe lesions do not recover; only those with initially mild neural injuries make satisfactory neurological recovery.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.126-129
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• 2000

Age-related osteoporotic compression fractures occur frequently in old aged group recently. Percutaneous vertebroplasty has recently been introduced as a therapeutic method for the treatment of pain associated with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture. Percutaneous intravertebral injection of PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) results in marked reduction in pain and morbidity. Among complications during vertebroplasty with PMMA, pulmonary embolism is repotred occasionally but the reports about hypotension are not common. This case is a report of a patient whom significant hypotension occured during percutaneous vertebroplasty.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.226-228
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• 2005

Zoster sine herpete (ZSH) is a varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation without a zoster that is difficult to diagnose early after onset. This study examined 12 patients who presented with intercostal neuralgia, had no history of trauma, cutaneous eruption and no scar of a herpes zoster on the lesion. Two patients had a vertebral compression fracture. Two patients had a history of a zoster in the other site. No other suspicious findings were observed. Ten of the twelve patients were checked for the IgG and IgM varicellar zoster virus antibody. All the patients tested positive to the Ig G antibody test and only one patient tested positive to the IgM antibody test. One patient was confirmed to have ZSH and the other patients were suspected of having ZSH. All the patients were treated for postherpetic neuralgia, resulting in a significant decrease in the intercostal neuralgia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.58-61
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• 2012

Various surgical procedures for the treatment of post-traumatic syringomyelia have been introduced recently, but most surgical strategies have been unreliable. We introduce the concept and technique of a new shunting procedure, syringo-subarachnoid-peritoneal shunt. A 54-year-old patient presented to our hospital with a progressive impairment of motion and position sense on the right side. Sixteen years before this admission, he had been treated by decompressive laminectomy for a burst fracture of L1. On his recent admission, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies of the whole spine revealed the presence of a huge syrinx extending from the medulla to the L1 vertebral level. We performed a syringo-subarachnoid-peritoneal shunt, including insertion of a T-tube into the syrinx, subarachnoid space and peritoneal cavity. Clinical manifestations and radiological findings improved after the operation. The syringo-subarachnoid-peritoneal shunt has several advantages. First, fluid can communicate freely between the syrinx, the subarachnoid space, and the peritoneal cavity. Secondly, we can prevent shunt catheter from migrating because dural anchoring of the T-tube is easy. Finally, we can perform shunt revision easily, because only one arm of the T-tube is inserted into the intraspinal syringx cavity. We think that this procedure is the most beneficial method among the various shunting procedures.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.389-397
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• 1993

This is a report of multiple myeloma occurred in the left mandibular body and skull. 66-year-old patient was referred to our hospital with a complaint of painful swelling on the left mandibular body area. The author diagnosed it as a multiple myeloma by the clinical examination, radiographic findings, laboratory findings and the histopathological findings. The purpose of this report is to aid in the diagnosis of multiple myeloma and to aid to differentiate it from malignant tumours. The characteristic features are as follows: 1. In clinical examination, painful swelling was observed in left mandibular body area. 2. In radiographic findings, radiograms showed relatively ill-defined radiolucency without sclerotic border in left mandibular body area. And also represented multiple punched-out radiolucency in the skull and pathologic fracture of vertebral body on lumbar 3 level. 3. In histopathologic findings, infiltration of abnormal plasma cells was observed. 4. In laboratory findings, decreasing of albumin/globulin ratio, hypercalcemia, renal impairment was observed, but we could not find the Bence-Jones protein in urin.