Ischemic contractures of muscle and nerve lesions (author's transl)]

Reporting 14 own cases symptomatology and treatment of the common ischemic syndromes of the extremities (Volkmann's contracture, thumb adduction contracture respectively contracture of the intrinsic hand muscles and anterior tibial syndrome) including the regularly concomitant nerve lesions are discussed. Edema and compression beyond the primary ischemia are essential factors in pathogenesis of nerve and muscle lesions. The electromyographic examination is helpful in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the severe sequelae of nerve and muscle. Since late diagnosis yields poor therapeutical results, early recognition of ischemic states and prophylaxis are most important.     

Immunostaging (author's transl)]

This survey covers the problems of immunologic monitoring of patients and the spectrum of methods of diagnosing various types of immunopathological reactions.     

Muscle hernia causing compression to the superficial peroneal nerve (author's transl)]

Author describe a rare condition of long peroneal muscle hernia, which caused severe nerve compression pain. After nerve decompression and fasciotomy the complains could be eliminated. The condition when discovered, operation should be done in a short time in order to avoid permanent nerve damage.     

Spinal electrogram evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation in man (author's transl)]

Summated evoked responses to peroneal and tibial nerve stimulation were recorded from surface electrodes placed over the lumbar and thoracic spine of twenty normal adults. The responses consisted of triphasic potentials (mainly negative) which progressively increased in latency at more rostal recording sites. These responses were thought to have a common origin with those recorded from the spinal epidural space. The conduction velocity of the responses to peroneal nerve stimulation was 48.5 m/sec from the lower to the upper thoracic recording site. In twenty patients with spinal cord lesions, responses caudal to the lesion were similar to those recorded in normal adults except six patients with cauda lesion. Six completely paralysed patients were examined soon after injuries, and two were noted to have evoked spinal responses above the lesion, followed by returning of the function in the lower extrimities. These suggest that this method is of prognostic value for predicting recovery of neurologic function after injuries.     

Suprasternal bone (author's transl)]

Human skeletons have many variations which may occasionally necessitate distinction from pathologic changes. Suprasternal bone is an unfamiliar normal variation in the vicinity of the sternoclavicular joint. It was first described by Béclard in 1820 and thereafter many reports have appeared, mostly in anatomy and embryology. An incidence less than 5% is reported abroad. This report describes the incidence of suprasternal bone in Japanese and a few clinical reference cases. Suprasternal bone is now considered to have derived from the persistent rudiment of epicoracoid which should have normally consisted of the part of manubrium sterni. Suprasternal tubercle is considered to be the osseously fused type of suprasternal bone. The material consisted of two groups: 1) Seventy-four sterna were examined roentgenographically which were removed en bloc from the cadavera. 2) 562 sterna of living subjects were examined roentgenographically by Kattan's method. In the seventy-four cadavera, eight cases had suprasternal bones (10.8%) and fourteen cases had suprasternal tubercles. Among them, three had suprasternal bone and tubercle on each side. In the 562 living subjects, thirty-nine cases had suprasternal bones (6.9%) and eight cases had suprasternal tubercles. Among them, three had both on each side. The incidence of suprasternal bone in Japanese is therefore higher than foreigners' reported previously. Kattan's method employed in this study is simple and excellent to show manubrium sterni and sternoclavicular joint clearly. It is emphasized that suprasternal bone is not uncommon and differential diagnosis from pathologic changes is easy as long as it is kept in mind.