A population-based study on trend in incidence of distal radial fractures in adults in Taiwan in 2000-2007.

UNLABELLED: This population-based study was conducted using claims data obtained from the National Health Insurance to investigate the trend in incidence of distal radial fractures in adults in Taiwan from 2000 to 2007. Our results revealed an increasing trend, particularly among women >50 years of age. INTRODUCTION: This population-based study used insurance claims data from 2000 to 2007 obtained from the National Health Research Institute to investigate the longitudinal trend in distal radial fractures in adults ≥20 years old in Taiwan. METHODS: We estimated the age- and gender-specific annual incidence rates of distal radial fracture and compared the differences in distribution by sociodemographic status between patients with and those without distal radial fracture and the differences in incidence rates between 2000 and 2007. RESULTS: The incidence of fracture was higher in women than in men. The overall female-to-male rate ratios were 1.52 in 2000 (12.3 vs 8.06 per 10,000 persons) and 1.89 in 2007 (18.9 vs 10.0 per 10,000 persons). There was marked increase in age-specific incidence beginning in the 50-54-year age group, particularly among women. CONCLUSION: These results imply the need for more effective intervention for the prevention of subsequent fracture and disability, particularly for perimenopausal women.

Impaired gallbladder function in spinal cord injury on quantitative Tc-99m DISIDA cholescintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have increased prevalences of gallstones and acute acalculous cholecystitis. A possible explanation for the increased prevalence of gallstone disease in SCI patients is decreased gallbladder motility causing gallbladder stasis, a known risk factor for gallstone disease. We investigated gallbladder function in SCI. METHODS: Twenty-five normal control subjects and 50 SCI patients were included in this study. Gallbladder function was measured by technium 99m-labeled imino-diacetic acid analogue (Tc-99m DISIDA) cholescintigraphy and represented by the filling fraction (FF) and the ejection fraction (EF). The SCI patients were assigned to subgroups: old versus young, female versus male, high- versus low-level injury, and long versus short injury duration. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of SCI patients had abnormal FFs and 54% of SCI patients had abnormal EFs. Significantly decreased FF and EF values were found in SCI patients, especially in those who were female and had high-level injuries. CONCLUSION: With the use of quantitative Tc-99m DISIDA cholescintigraphy, we found that SCI can significantly impair gallbladder function.

Bone mineral density in young female Chinese dancers.

To evaluate of the effect of dancing on bone mineral density (BMD) we compared 29 Chinese girls who had been receiving regular ballet training for at least 6 years with a control group of 20 nonathletic sex- and age-matched Chinese girls. BMD was measured at the second to fourth lumbar spine and at the right femoral neck using a commercial dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA). There were no significant differences in either measured BMD or spinal BMD after adjusting for body weight (body mass index). Adjusted BMD of the femoral neck, however, showed significant differences (P <0.05). Results revealed that the ballet dancers were significantly thinner than the control group and the negative effect of a lower bodyweight may neutralize the positive effect of ballet dancing on BMD, especially in the femoral neck.

Phototherapeutic keratectomy for superficial corneal fibrosis after radial keratotomy.

We report on 4 patients who developed superficial corneal fibrosis after radial keratotomy. All 4 were treated successfully with manual debridement of the epithelium and manual excision of the fibrous scar, followed by phototherapeutic keratectomy.

Giant-cell tumor of bone around the knee.

BACKGROUND: In most of the reported series, almost half of the giant-cell tumors involved the knee region. The characteristics of the lesions were usually benign but often locally aggressive and easily recurrent neoplasms. Some surgeons performed intralesional excision combined with local adjunctive chemical coagulant, and bone grafting or methylmethacrylate cement packing. These methods could both decrease local recurrence and retain the function of joint. METHODS: From January, 1984 to December, 1994, a review was made of the results for eighteen patients who had been managed consecutively at the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei for giant-cell tumor of bone around the knee. Fourteen instances had occurred in the proximal tibia and four, in the distal femur. According to the classification of Campanacci, nine lesions were Stage II and nine, Stage III. Eleven patients had been managed with intralesional excision of the tumor with local adjunctive application; the other seven had en bloc resection and reconstructive procedures. RESULTS: All patients had been followed for a mean of fifty-six months (range 22 to 125 months). The overall recurrence rate was 11% (2/18). The intralesional excision had 18% (2/11) recurrence; there was no recurrence in the en bloc resection (0/7). The complication rate was 16% (4/18); 9% (1/11) for intralesional excision and 42% (3/7) for en bloc resection, respectively. The mean functional score was 28 points (range, 22 to 30) in the intralesional excision group and 21 points (range, 11 to 30) in the en bloc resection group. CONCLUSIONS: En bloc resection with reconstruction had a lower rate of recurrence, but a higher rate of complication and poor functional results. Intralesional excision, combined with a local adjunctive application and packed with bone grafting or methylmethacrylate cement, was an acceptably good method with satisfactory results, which either decreased local recurrence or retained the function of the joint.

A portable DNA sequence carrying the cohesive site (cos) of bacteriophage lambda and the mob (mobilization) region of the broad-host-range plasmid RK2: a module for the construction of new cosmids.

A polylinker DNA sequence carrying the cos site of bacteriophage lambda and the mob (oriT) region of the IncP group plasmid RK2 was constructed. This composite polylinker has EcoRI sites at both termini and also unique sites for ClaI, HindIII, PstI and XbaI. The cos-mob region is portable with the use of EcoRI or a combination of EcoRI with ClaI, HindIII or XbaI. Another cos-mob cassette was also constructed from which the cos-mob region can be lifted with HindIII, ClaI or either of these enzymes in combination with others. These cos-mob cassettes can be used in constructing new cosmids that can be mobilized into a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Using one of these cassettes we have constructed a small IncW group cosmid (11.1 kb) that was mobilizable into Escherichia coli, Rhizobium spp. and Alcaligenes eutrophus at high frequency.