Shinya Maki

Return to Sports Activity after Meniscal Repair

We reviewed 31 patients treated by meniscal suture from 1994 to 1998. They consisted 19 males and 12 females with a mean age of 19.1 years (range: 10-34 years). The average follow-up period was 9.6 months (range; 1 to 36 months). We evaluated factors about the return to sports activity after meniscal repair. The important factors are sex (female), age (after 30 years), ligament insuf-ficiency, and type of sports (requiring jumping). The rehabilitation method shoud be considered to shorten the return period to sports activity.

Eight Cases of Gas Gangrene Experienced at Kagoshima City Hospital

We report eight cases of gas gangrene experienced from 1988 to 1997 in Kagoshima city Hospital and allied hospitals. The injured sites were lower extremity in seven (four cases with popliteal artery injury) and the palm in one. The period from the injury to onset was 2 to 7 days (average; 4.5 days). Our criteria for diagnosis of gas gangrene are as follows; fever, secretion with foul odor, crepitation, serious inflammatory reaction and roentgenogrophic gas. Six patients were treated by amputation of the affected limbs and two cases received a surgical limb salvage procedure. All patients were also treated by hyperbaric oxygen and antibiotics. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy seemed to be effective for borth clostridium and non-clostridium gas gangrene. The prophylactic hyperbaric oxygen therapy for gas gangrene seemed to be effective for cases with diabetes mellitus or poplitial artery injury.

Our Treatment for Impending Severe Malunion of the Upper Limb in Adolescence

We report a new operative method for impending severe malunion of the upper limb in adolescence. Patients were six males ranging in age from 4 to 22 years (average; 12.8 years). There were two supracondyle fractures of the humerus, epiphyseal injury of the distal radius, metaphyseal fracture of the distal radius, fracture of the phalangeal neck, and olecranon fracture in one case each. The interval between injury and operation ranged from 14 to 70 days (average; 32 days). Our operative methods were composed of excision of the callus, reposition of the fracture fragments and osteosynthesis. Bone union was obtained in all cases, and there were no complications. In conclusion, our operative method seems to provide a favorable treatment for impending malunion of the upper limb in adolescence.

The Electrophysical Follow-Up of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The relationship between clinical results and electrophysical parameters of 23 hands (22 patients) were examined. There were seven men and 15 women. The average age of the patients was 56.9 years (range: 32 to 72 years). The average length of followup was one year and five months (range: 4 months to 3 years and 7 months). Distal motor latency (DML), amplitude of compound muscle action potential of Abductor pollicis brevis (CMAPa), distal sensory latency (DSL) and amplitude of sensory nerve action potential (SNAPa) were examined as the electrophysical parameters. CMAPa and SNAPa seem to be reasonable markers to evaluate the postoperative recovery of the median nerve.