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The leg press is a complex lift involving the ankle, knee, and hip joint. The leg press is generally included in weight-training programs to develop the quadriceps. However, little is known about the mechanism of the load in the lower extremity by the different knee alignment. This study investigated the muscle hardness of the lower limb and different knee alignment after leg press exercise. The hardness of each lower muscle was measured in 4 normal knee and 6 genu varum subjects who performed leg press using narrow, medium and wide stance. The results are summarized as follows: 1) The vastus lateralis of genu varum grope was significantly increased by muscle hardness using the narrow stance. However, one showed a significantly low value by using the wide stance. 2) The hardness of the tibialis anterior in genu varum was significantly higher than the muscle hardness in the normal knee group, but only when using the narrow stance. Using the wide stance, the muscle hardness of one was a significantly low value. From this, we can derive the argument that stance must be taken into consideration when a player who is genu varum performs leg press. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates high school football injuries in tile Kanto High School Football League during the 1996 to 2000 seasons. The total number of injuries reported was 465 in 456 games (1.02 injuries/game). The injuries occurred most frequently in the fourth quarter of a game {31.4%). Injury by player position showed that Running backs (14.8%) and Linebackers (13.5%) had a higher incidence of injury than other positions. The most common areas for injury were the ankle (14.8%), the knee (12.9%), and the abdomen (11.4%). Ankle ligament injury (13.5%) abdominal blow (11.4%) and knee ligament injury (9.9%) were common injuries in high school football players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is currently attracting the attention of physicians and physiotherapists in sports medicine. In the US and Japan, some elite athletes are using HBO in an attempt to promote recovery from sports injuries. This paper presents studies of its efficacy in wound healing, recovery from fatigue and improvement in body condition, introducing the basic and clinical studies of the HBO usage of 7 speed skaters in Nagano Olympic games in 1998. The efficacy of HBO in tissue healing is considered and the usage conditions of HBO such as working hours and atmospheric pressure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the effect of low-dose cyclosporine (CyA) treatment for patients with chronic Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease resistance to systemic corticosteroid treatment. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with chronic VKH disease resistance to systemic corticosteroid treatment at Japan Community Health Care Organization (JCHO) Osaka Hospital between March 2013 and March 2016. We followed the observation with systemic low-dose CyA (100 mg once daily) treatment of these patients. The patients were divided into two groups, anterior ocular inflammation group and posterior ocular inflammation group. Demographic data were reviewed, including age, gender, the existence of inflammation at the initial visit and three months after CyA treatment, and side effect. Results: Twenty-three eyes of thirteen patients with chronic VKH disease were included in this study (11 women, 2 men; mean age, 54.6±11.9 years). Nine cases showed anterior ocular inflammation and seven cases showed posterior ocular inflammation (includes overlapping cases). Thirteen of fourteen eyes in the anterior ocular inflammation group subsided at three months after CyA treatment, and ten of thirteen eyes in the posterior ocular inflammation group subsided at three months after treatment. We had to stop the treatment in one patient because of severe increase of serum triglyceride. Conclusions: Low-dose CyA treatment was effective in patients with chronic VKH resistance to systemic corticosteroid treatment. Our results suggest that this treatment was more effective in the anterior ocular inflammation group than in the posterior ocular inflammation group; however, a larger number of patients and longer observation periods are needed to confirm these results.

Purpose: To report two cases of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) resistant to systemic corticosteroid therapy, effectively treated with systemic cyclosporine. Case 1: A 52-year-old man diagnosed as VKH was administered oral corticosteroids (40 mg/day), following steroid pulse therapy. Since there was no significant improvement, he underwent a second course of steroid pulse therapy and oral corticosteroid administration (40 mg/day). However, there was still no improvement, and a combination therapy of both oral corticosteroids (40 mg/day) and cyclosporine 200 mg (3 mg/kg) was administered. As a result, the inflammation subsided and the dosage of the drugs was tapered successfully. Case 2: A 50-year-old man diagnosed as VKH underwent two courses of steroid pulse therapy, which did not improve significantly. We performed combination therapy of both corticosteroids and cyclosporine, similar to the case described above and obtained good results. Conclusion: Our experience of these two cases indicates that systemic cyclosporine treatment was effective in the management of VKH patients resistant to conventional systemic corticosteroid therapy.

Here, we present a case of concurrent perirenal liposarcoma associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in a 60-year-old man. The tumor was detected by ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However, the preoperative qualitative diagnosis was difficult due to unusual image findings. The patient was treated by surgical resection and has been free of disease for 24 months. To our knowledge, this is the third case of RCC associated with primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma reported to date. We discuss the imaging and pathological findings of the case and review the relevant literature.

A 29-year-old man developed diabetes mellitus in 1983 and diabetic nephropathy which gradually worsened from 1998. He was admitted to our hospital for initiation of peritoneal dialysis in May 2002. However, the efficiency of dialysis was not sufficient to improve elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. His body weight and cardiothoracic index by chest roentgenography gradually increased starting 9 days after admission. To improve the efficiency of dialysis, we tried to increase the dialysis fluid. Nevertheless, the efficiency of peritoneal dialysis remained low, and the patient complained of nausea 14 days after admission. Hypotension suddenly occurred 16 days after admission. Echocardiography showed massive pericardial effusion and collapse of the right ventricle. The diagnosis was cardiac tamponade. We performed cardiac centesis and pericardial drainage which revealed bloody pericardial effusion. Urgent hemodialysis was performed. The differential diagnosis of cardiac tamponade was established. After hemodialysis, the amount of pericardial effusion decreased, the gastro-intestinal symptoms disappeared, and the blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels decreased. We speculated that the cause of cardiac tamponade was uremic pericarditis after ruling out infectious disease, collagen disease, malignant disease, and aortic dissection. Cardiac tamponade due to uremic pericarditis has become very rare since hemodialysis was developed.