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There are no clinical studies about treatment of distal tibia fractures using far cortical locking (FCL) screws, even though it has been shown to be superior to standard locking screws in biomechanical studies. We compared the efficacy of FCL screws to that of traditional locking screws. Twenty-five distal tibia fractures were treated with minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis using traditional locking screws, whereas 20 were treated using FCL screws. We retrospectively compared time taken for callus formation and radiographic bone union between 2 groups. The effect of age, sex, diabetes, and smoking history on bone healing was analyzed. Complications were also noted. As a result, there was no significant difference in age (p = .292), sex (p = 1.0), diabetes (p = 1.0), or smoking history (p = .704) between 2 groups. Time to callus formation was 77.5 days in the FCL group, and 96 days in the traditional group (p = .023). Average time to bone union was 134.8 days, and 163.1 days in the FCL group and the traditional group, respectively (p = .017). There was one case of screw loosening in the FCL group, and one case of screw breakage in the traditional group. This study suggests that FCL screws promote quicker healing of distal tibia fractures than traditional locking screws.

Long-term air pollution exposure has been suggested to increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the association between short-term air pollution exposure and ADHD-related outcomes is still unknown. We investigated the associations between short-term exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM10), nitrogen oxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hospital admissions with a principal diagnosis of ADHD among adolescents (age 10–19 years) in 16 regions of the Republic of Korea from 2013 to 2015. We estimated the region-specific relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from quasi-Poisson regressions adjusted for potential confounders, considering single-day and moving average lag. Consequently, we performed meta-analyses to pool the region-specific estimates. The risks of ADHD-related hospital admissions were increased in the single-day and moving average lag models for PM10 (largest association for lag 1 in the single-day lag model, RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.20; lag 0–2 in the moving average lag model, RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.27), NO2 (lag 3, RR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.73; lag 1–3, RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.38, 2.04), and SO2 (lag 1, RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.41; lag 1–3, RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.49). The associations were similar between boys and girls, but they were stronger among adolescents aged 15–19 years than those aged 10–14 years for NO2 and SO2. In conclusion, the results indicate that short-term exposure to PM10, NO2, and SO2 may be a risk factor for the exacerbation of ADHD symptoms, leading to hospitalization.

Background To date, there has been no established protocol regarding the timing of the scheduled administration of antiemetics in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Previous prospective studies analyzing the scheduled use of antiemetics differed in the timing at which the drugs were administered. However, antiemetic drugs are not administered post-operatively until noxious stimuli caused by drugs used during anesthesia and operative procedures. The purpose of this study was 1) to determine whether preoperative scheduled administration of an antiemetic drug can reduce iatrogenic postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in TKA compared to postoperative administration, and 2) to determine whether there was a difference in postoperative pain, patient satisfaction, and complications after TKA between pre- and postoperative administrations.Methods This retrospective study included patients who were assigned to either intravenous administration of the antiemetic drug (ramosetron) 1 hour before surgery (pre-injection group: 50 patients) or at the end of surgery (post-injection group: 51 patients). The incidence of PONV and the frequency of rescue medicine use were recorded until 48 hours postoperation. Postoperative pain level and satisfaction were also assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Possible complications associated with serotonin receptor antagonists; for example, headaches, dizziness, and drowsiness were also assessed.Results The incidence of nausea events was lower in the pre-injection group than in the post-injection group. However, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of frequency of vomiting events and the use of rescue medicine for PONV. Also, postoperative pain, satisfaction scores, and incidence of complications were not different between the two groups.Conclusions The patients with preoperative scheduled administration of antiemetics showed lower incidence of nausea events than those with postoperative administration. However, it is difficult to conclude that the extent of the effect was clinically significant. Further research is needed to determine the optimal timing and method for more effective antiemetic treatment.

An outbreak of febrile respiratory illness associated with human adenovirus (HAdV) occurred in the South Korea military during the 2014-15 influenza season and thereafter. Molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis of patient samples identified HAdV type 55 as the causative agent. Emergence of this novel HAdV necessitates continued surveillance in military and civilian populations.

BackgroundWe sought to determine whether there was a difference in the posterior condylar offset (PCO), posterior condylar offset ratio (PCOR) and clinical outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with anterior referencing (AR) or posterior referencing (PR) systems. We also assessed whether the PCO and PCOR changes, as well as patient factors were related to range of motion (ROM) in each referencing system.MethodsThis retrospective study included 130 consecutive patients (184 knees) with osteoarthritis who underwent primary posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-substituting fixed-bearing TKA. The difference between preoperative and postoperative PCO and PCOR values were calculated. Clinical outcomes including ROM and Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) scores were evaluated. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the factors related to postoperative ROM in each referencing system.ResultsThe postoperative PCO was greater in the AR group (28.4 mm) than in the PR group (27.4 mm), whereas the PCO was more consistently preserved in the PR group. The mean postoperative ROM after TKA was greater in the AR group (129°) than in the PR group (122°), whereas improvement in WOMAC score did not differ between the two groups. Preoperative ROM was the only factor related to postoperative ROM in both groups.ConclusionsThere was no difference in postoperative PCO in AR and PR group and the PCO was not associated with postoperative ROM. PCO was more consistently preserved after surgery in the PR group. The postoperative PCO and PCOR changes did not affect the postoperative ROM. Furthermore, similar clinical outcomes were achieved in the AR and PR groups.Trial registrationRetrospectively registered (Trial registration number:06-2010-110).

Human adenovirus (HAdV) (genus Mastadenovirus ; family Adenoviridae ) serotype 55 is a reemerging pathogen associated with acute respiratory disease. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of HAdV-55 strain AFMC 16-0011, isolated from a military recruit, using next-generation sequencing technology.

An outbreak of febrile respiratory illness associated with human adenovirus (HAdV) occurred in the South Korea military during the 2014–15 influenza season and thereafter. Molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis of patient samples identified HAdV type 55 as the causative agent. Emergence of this novel HAdV necessitates continued surveillance in military and civilian populations.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of electrocardiographic (ECG) findings suggestive of sudden cardiac death risk in apparently healthy young Korean men.We administered questionnaires that elicited personal and family histories and performed ECGs on 10,867 male subjects (mean age, 20.9 years). The subjects with abnormal ECG findings underwent echocardiography, a treadmill test, Holter monitoring, a flecainide provocation test, or an electrophysiologic study (EPS) according to the ECG findings and histories.Of the subjects, 5.95% had left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG, but no subjects had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by echocardiography. The percentage of subjects with a Brugada ECG pattern was 0.90%. We identified one subject with a positive result on the flecainide provocation test. The percentage of subjects with a preexcitation ECG was 0.17%. In two of the subjects, supraventricular tachycardia was induced in the EPS. Of the subjects, 0.05% had epsilon waves, but there were no subjects with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy by echocardiography. The percentage of subjects with long QT intervals was 0.02%, but there were no arrhythmias on the treadmill test or Holter monitoring.The prevalence of a Brugada ECG pattern in apparently healthy young men is higher in Korea than other countries.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate the expression pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokines during distraction osteogenesis and to compare these with expression during simple fracture healing. Materials and Methods: Regenerated bones from the rat tibia subjected distraction osteogenesis and simple fracture healing models were harvested over three-week periods. Temporal expressions of mRNA of pro-inflammatory cytokines were investigated by RNase protection assay. Immunohistochemical studies for IL-6 were performed in postoperative day 7 and 9 tissue section specimens. Results: IL-1and IL-6 produced detectable signals, while IL-1, TNF and TNFdid not. The mRNA expressions of IL-1 and IL-6 were markedly upregulated on postoperative day 1 and then subsided to the preoperative level. IL-1 mRNA expression remained the same even when distraction began. However, IL-6 mRNA expression was reactivated during the distraction phase. Immunohistochemical study revealed the expressions of IL-6 not only at the transitional zone of the transchondroid ossification, in young osteoblasts lining newly formed trabeculae and in hematopoietic cells in the marrow but also in primitive mesenchymal cells at the distraction gap. Conclusion: Distraction strain re-induced IL-6 expression during distraction osteogenesis, which suggests that well-controlled inflammatory reaction might contribute to active new bone formation in distraction osteogenesis.