Three hundred seventy cardiac patients were referred to our department during the last 10 years for the graded exercise program. Two hundred seventy four were patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Their ages ranged from 29 to 88 (mean: 61.9 years). Twenty one percent of them were complicated with post AMI angina, heart failure, serious arrhythmias, etc. Exercise program was initiated on the 5th day from onset in the non-complicated cases, while it was on the 11th day for the complicated. Maximum exercise level was significantly lower in the complicated cases, and it was attained on the 20th day for the non-complicated and the 37th day for the complicated, respectively.
Seventy three percent of the patients responded to our questionaire concerning their present community life. About half of the responders were doing some kind of physical exercises. Eighty six percent of the priorly employed patients were able to return to work. Most of them returned within 3 months after discharge. Seventy four percent of the responders were more or less satisfied with their present life. NYHA functional classes of the patients did not correlate with these satisfaction rates. The highest correlations with overall life satisfaction were found in satisfaction in finance and leisure activities. However, they regarded a good family relationship as the most important thing to their life.

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We examined the physiological changes of extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscle in rats caused by nerve transection.
The wet weight of the denervated SOL muscle was further reduced than that of EDL muscle.
Diameters of the muscle fibers which were obtained of the denervated muscles, were on the decrease and the averages of the both muscles were equal after one week. The maximal tension developed by the denervated single muscle fiber was lower and less than one half of the control muscle after 2 weeks. According to classification by types of muscle fibers using a single skinned muscle fiber method, conversion of type I into type II and type X was noted on the denervated muscle. No abnormalities were found in calcium ion uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
It was concluded from the present study that the denervated atrophy of skeletal muscle was induced not only reduction of muscle fibers in diameter and tension but also conversion to muscle proteins and immature muscle fibers.

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We devised a new postoperative exercise for after total knee replacement (TKR) in order to achieve better mobility.
The procedure is as follows.
1) Administration of an NSAID suppository 1 hour before the exercise to decrease the pain.
2) Exercise using continuous passive movement (CPM) machine preparatory to manual passive ROM exercise.
3) Manual passive ROM exercise soon after the CPM.
4) Maximum flexion to the degree achieved during operation, until 7-10 days after TKR.
5) Maximum flexion is performed at least once a day until discharge.
With the above postoperative exercise program, we achieved a mean postoperative ROM of 132 degrees, and 50% of the patients completing this program were able to flex their knees fully.

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