Search

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of common peroneal nerve injury in FM drilling as compared to transtibial drilling in anatomical double-bundle ACL reconstruction. Methods: Ten cadaveric knees without ligament injury or significant arthritis were used for this study. Knees were secured at 90° and 120° of flexion. In transtibial drilling groups, a guide pin was drilled through either the anteromedial bundle (AMB) or posterolateral bundle (PLB) tibial insertion site to either the AMB or PLB femoral insertion site (tibial insertion site-femoral insertion site: AM-AM, PL-PL, PL-AM and AM-PL). In FM drilling groups (FM-AM and FM-PL),the pin was drilled at the AMB or PLB femoral insertion site through the FM. We measured the shortest distance between the point at which the pin ran through the lateral cortex of the femur and the ipsilateral common peroneal nerve at a knee flexion of 90° and 120°. Results: At a knee flexion of 90°, the shortest mean distance to the common peroneal nerve was 15.3 mm in the FM-PL group, 13.4 mm in the FM-AM group, 27.9 mm in the PL-PL group, 30.8 mm in the AM-AM group, 37.8 mm in the PL-AM group and 29.5 mm in the AM-PL group. At a knee of flexion 120°, the mean distance was 17.3 mm in the FM-PL group, 18.1 mm in the FM-AM group, 32.2 mm in the PL-PL group, 36.6 mm in the AM-AM group, 38.0 mm in the PL-AM group and 35.2 mm in the AM-PL group. Significant differences were observed between 90° and 120° of knee flexion in the FM-AM, PL-PL, AM-AM and AM-PL groups ( P < 0.05).Significant differences were observed at flex 90° between the FM-AM group and AM-AM group, and between the FM-AM group and PL-AM group. Significant differences were observed at flex 120° between the FM-AM group and AM-AM group, between the FM-AM group and PL-AM group and between the FM-PL group and AM-PL group. Conclusion: The distance to the peroneal nerve in FM drilling was significantly longer at 120° than at 90° of knee flexion. Therefore, the risk of peroneal injury using FM drilling should decrease at a higher angle of knee flexion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a rare case of spontaneous rupture of the extensor tendons at the wrist which was shown histologically to be related to calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease. The causes of tendon rupture were chronic synovitis with crystal deposition and a dorsal prominence of the ulnar head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine how chondrocytes are involved in the molecular mechanism of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A chondrosarcoma cell line (OUMS-27) was cultured and treated with interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Changes in the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), and gliostatin/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (GLS/PD-ECGF) were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. IL-1β induced the expressions of MMP-1, MMP-13, and GLS mRNAs and proteins in a dose-dependent manner. Selective inhibition of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) pathway with SB 203580 and SB 202190 blocked the expression of MMP-1, MMP-13, and GLS more strongly than selective inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway by PD 98059. These findings suggest that chondrocytes may intensify cartilage destruction and inflammation in RA by the induction of MMP-1, MMP-13, and GLS by IL-1β and that the p38 MAPK pathway plays an important role in these inductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: Gliostatin/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (GLS/PD-ECGF) has a potential for arthritogenic action. The aim of this study was to examine whether measurement of serum GLS can be used to evaluate symptomatic improvements after surgery (arthroplasty or synovectomy) as well as the aggressiveness of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Serum GLS levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay in rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive and -negative RA patients. In those undergoing surgery, levels were measured 3 months before and after the operations. Both RF-positive and -negative RA sera showed higher GLS levels than normal and osteoarthritis sera. Patients undergoing arthroplasty demonstrated a decrease in serum GLS levels after the operations, but patients undergoing synovectomy did not, reflecting the extent of remaining or reproliferating synovial tissues rich in GLS production. These findings suggest that the serum GLS level is a useful indicator for evaluation of synovitis and the systemic efficacy of surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neovascularization, proliferation of synovial cells, and mononuclear cell influx and activation are characteristic events observed in synovial joints in the pathohistology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to examine synovial inflammation in rabbit knees induced by intra-articular administration of human gliostatin/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (GLS/PD-ECGF), which shares a high degree of chemical homology with thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) and is known to have angiogenic activity. Purified recombinant human gliostatin (rHuGLS) and its mutant protein, which was prepared by site-directed mutagenesis and which lacks dThdPase activity, were administered at various doses to rabbit knee joints. The effects of rHuGLS and the mutant were examined histologically. Intra-articular injection of rHuGLS resulted in the development of diffuse synovitis resembling RA. The mutant protein also brought about the same effect. These findings suggest that human GLS can cause RA-like synovitis in rabbit knee joints via a mechanism other than its dThdPase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine sediment cores were taken from Sagami Bay of the western Northwest Pacific and analyzed for 239+240Pu and 137Cs activities. A significant correlation was observed between 239+240Pu and 137Cs activities in sediment cores, i.e., their vertical profiles. The measured activities which were used to obtain the inventories of 239+240Pu and 137Cs in the sediment column, showed large variations, ranging from 36 to 474 MBq/km2 for 239+240Pu and 49 to 652 MBq/km2 for 137Cs. 239+240Pu inventories in the sediment from one region in the Bay, Sagami Nada were 5–10 times greater than those predicted from atmospheric global fallout 42 MBq/km2 at the same latitude. On the other hand, 137Cs inventories, with a mean value of 297±168 MBq/km2, were much less than predicted, 2040 MBq/km2. The activity ratios of 239+240Pu/137Cs obtained, with a mean of 0.65±0.17, were significantly greater than the ratio predicted from fallout, 0.021. Furthermore, there was a clear relationship between both 239+240Pu and 137Cs inventories and the water content, indicating that higher inventories may be attributed principally to concentration in, and scavenging by, fine-grained particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four sediment cores were collected from Tokyo Bay and analyzed for their 239+240Pu and 137Cs concentrations. Shallow nearshore sediments from Tokyo Bay have 239+240Pu inventories which average 214±14 MBq/km2. They are five times greater than the supply expected from the atmospheric global fallout at the same latitude of 42 MBq/km2. The measured mean 137Cs inventory of 433±93 MBq/km2 is approximately one fifth the value expected from global fallout. Furthermore, the 239+240Pu/137Cs activity ratios, with a mean ratio of 0.50±0.14, are significantly greater than the ratio expected from the global fallout of 0.021. Excess 239+240Pu inventories can be considered to have been introduced into Tokyo Bay as weathering products by soil erosion, transported via rivers and winds, and to be much more efficiently scavenged from seawater by particles resuspended at the sediment-water interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface seawater and marine organisms were collected on the Japanese coast and analyzed for their137Cs concentrations during the 1980's. The137Cs concentrations in surface seawater decreased almost exponentially with time and the137Cs removal rate constant was estimated to be 0.0445 y−1. The137Cs concentrations in marine organisms also decreased almost exponentially with time. The environmental half-lives of137Cs in muscle and viscera of fish, crustacea, and seaweed were estimated from the measured decreases of137Cs concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]