The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) plays an important role in controlling knee joint stability, not only by limiting tibial anterior translation but also by controlling knee axial rotation. The aim of ACL reconstruction is to reduce excessive anterior joint laxity, hoping to restore normal tibiofemoral kinematics including knee axial rotation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between static anterior instability and tibial rotation during several activities in an anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knee. Seven patients with unilateral ACL injury performed plain walking, running, landing and side step cutting tasks after ACL reconstruction with a mean follow-up of 14 months. The kinematic data for the 4 motions was measured using a motion analysis system and the point cluster technique. The evaluation period was defined to be from the first contact to removal of the tested leg from the ground. Maximum tibial internal rotation during tasks was calculated using the point cluster technique (PCT). Passive anterior tibial translation was measured using a KT-1000 arthrometer. Regression analysis was used to determine the correlation of the maximum internal rotation with the side-to-side difference of static anterior tibial translation measured using a KT-1000 arthrometer. During side step cutting maneuvers, maximum tibial internal rotation significantly showed negative correlation with static anterior tibial translation (p<0.05, r=0.83). The anterior laxity contributed to the normal knee rotation kinematics. The normal anterior tibial translation obtained by ACL reconstruction is thought to be the key factor in successful restoration of normal knee kinematics.

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Cevimeline is a muscarinic agonist that promotes saliva secretion and is used to treat Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), an autoimmune disorder in which the exocrine glands that produce saliva are destroyed. Cevimeline is thought to affect the composition of saliva in part by regulating the localization of aquaporins (AQPs). In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic Cevimeline administration in the salivary glands of SS mice on the immunohistochemical localization of aquaporin (AQP)-1, 3, 4, 5 and 8.
We used Cevimeline-untreated SS mice, treated SS mice, discontinued SS mice and untreated normal mice.
AQP-5 was found in the apical and lateral membranes of acinar cells in the parotid and submandibular glands of cevimeline-treated SS mice and untreated normal mice. Saliva secretion and AQP-5 localization were sustained in SS mice who were chronically administered Cevimeline and at four weeks after discontinuation. Unlike AQP-5, the localization of AQP-1, 3, 4 and 8 were not affected by Cevimeline administration.
Our findings demonstrated that administration of Cevimeline maintains the proper localization of AQP-5 in the acinar cells of the salivary gland, which may promote salivation in chronically treated SS mice. Clinically, this suggests that chronic Cevimeline administration may be useful therapeutically for SS patients suffering from a decrease in saliva secretion by improving the disordered AQP-5 localization.

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Studies have demonstrated favorable outcomes of arthroscopic decompression for ganglion cyst in the supraspinous fossa; however, little attention has been paid to the difficulty in detecting these cysts during arthroscopy. In this report, we present 2 cases in which ganglion cysts in the supraspinous fossa were undetectable during arthroscopy. The ganglion cysts were not identified in these cases during surgery despite arthroscopic decompression being performed through the area in which the cyst was expected until the suprascapular nerve was entirely exposed. After surgery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the disappearance of the ganglion cyst and external rotation strength was fully improved, without shoulder pain. We emphasize here that surgeons should be aware of this difficulty when performing arthroscopic decompression of ganglion cysts in the supraspinous fossa.

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A 59-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of severe anemia and leucopenia. Although she developed mild arthralgia without the typical symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), positivity for anti-Sm antibodies led us to a diagnosis of late-onset SLE. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and suppression of reticulocyte production were considered to have been involved in the etiology of severe anemia. Administration of oral prednisolone (PSL) resulted in a marked improvement of the hematological abnormalities. As late-onset SLE is rare and patients tend to show the typical symptoms less frequently, close attention should be focused on latent symptoms and immunological findings.

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We experienced a case of aortic valve replacement after previous coronary artery bypass grafting with patent bypass grafts. Based on the retrosternal anatomy assessed by preoperative angiography and thoracic computed tomography, aortic valve replacement was performed through a median resternotomy. After careful dissection of the right side of the heart and the ascending aorta, cardiopulmonary bypass was established with cannulation of the ascending aorta and bicaval venous cannulation. The patent bypass grafts were dissected only as required for clamping and were clamped during cardiac arrest. After aortic valve replacement, the patient was uneventfully weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass and had a good postoperative recovery. It is important that surgeons have a meticulous strategy for reducing the risks associated with operating on patients with patent bypass grafts. We report on the surgical management of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement after previous coronary artery bypass grafting, including careful planning during the first operation.

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Intestinal malrotation is caused by a developmental anomaly of the embryonic intestine. Most cases develop in neonates, and development in adulthood is rare and difficult to diagnose before surgery.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed for cancer of the ampulla of Vater accompanied by incomplete fixation in a 63-year-old male patient. A branch of the superior mesenteric artery was present on the resection line and was deemed likely to cause circulatory disorder in the small intestine, and the duodenum and jejunum were covered with a membranous structure making dissection, anatomical identification, and jejunectomy difficult. Herein, we report the case with a review of the literature.

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