• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2008

Although a rate of car accident death is on the decrease, internal rate of median encroachment accident is still high. In order to reduce the median encroachment accident, government use median barriers but there are no exact criteria of them. Particularly, current impulse measurement method has adopted the uniformly operating speed and encroachment angle. At reality, however, there are various conditions depends on driver's characters. In that reason, this study calculates reasonable impulse quantity through encroachment angle and operating speed. It will be necessary to prevent overuse treasury and car accidents.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2008

Traffic accidents at night occur more than any other time because of improper road light facility and delineators. Therefore, cost-effective criteria of installing delineators are needed instead of expensive road light facility, especially, on rural road including light volume of traffic. This paper presents the criteria of installing 'Chevron Alignment Sign' considering driver's visual behavior characteristics and 'Raised Pavement Marker' considering critical encroachment angie of both straight section and curve one in order to reduce both the number of accidents on curve sections and the number of road encroachment accidents, respectively. The characteristics of visual behaviors can be expressed by visual angle involving curve radius and intersection angle. The estimated installing angles are $1^{\circ}{\sim}2.5^{\circ}$ by radii, which is based on changes in sensitivity across visual field by exogenous attention. Also, the raised pavement marker is installed every 2m, 3m, and 4m considering critical encroachment angles by radii.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of bone cement-augmented short segment fixation using percutaneous screws for thoracolumbar burst fractures in a background of severe osteoporosis. Methods : Sixteen patients with a single-level thoracolumbar burst fracture (T11-L2) accompanying severe osteoporosis treated from January 2008 to November 2009 were prospectively analyzed. Surgical procedures included postural reduction for 3 days and bone cement augmented percutaneous screw fixation at the fracture level and at adjacent levels without bone fusion. Due to the possibility of implant failure, patients underwent implant removal 12 months after screw fixation. Imaging and clinical findings, including involved vertebral levels, local kyphosis, canal encroachment, and complications were analyzed. Results : Prior to surgery, mean pain score (visual analogue scale) was 8.2 and this decreased to a mean of 2.2 at 12 months after screw fixation. None of the patients complained of pain worsening during the 6 months following implant removal. The percentage of canal compromise at the fractured level improved from a mean of 41.0% to 18.4% at 12 months after surgery. Mean kyphotic angle was improved significantly from $19.8^{\circ}$ before surgery to 7.8 at 12 months after screw fixation. Canal compromise and kyphotic angle improvements were maintained at 6 months after implant removal. No significant neurological deterioration or complications occurred after screw removal in any patient. Conclusion : Bone cement augmented short segment fixation using a percutaneous system can be an alternative to the traditional open technique for the management of selected thoracolumbar burst fractures accompanied by severe osteoporosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2011

Objective : The purpose of the present study was to determine the incidence of dural tears and predictable factors suggesting dural tears in patients who had lumbar burst fractures with vertical laminar fractures. Methods : A retrospective review was done on thirty-one patients who underwent operative treatment for lumbar burst fractures with vertical laminar fractures between January 2003 and December 2008. All patients were divided into two groups according to existence of dural tears, which were surgically confirmed; 21 patients with dural tears and 10 patients without dural tears. Clinical and radiographic findings were analyzed for their association with dural tears. Results : Among a total of 31 patients, dural tears were detected in 21 (67%) patients. A preoperative neurological deficits and mean separation distances of the edges in laminar fractures were found to be the reliable factors of dural tears (p=0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Decreased ratio of the central canal diameter and interpedicular distance were also the reliable factors suggesting dural tears (p=0.006 and 0.015, respectively). However, dural tears showed no significant association with age, sex, level of injury, absence of a posterior fat pad signal, the angle of retropulsed segment, or site of laminar fracture. Conclusion : Our study of lumbar burst fracture combined laminar fracture revealed that dural tears should be ruled out in cases of a preoperative neurological deficits, wide separation of the laminar fracture, severe canal encroachment, and wider interpedicular distance.