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Study design: The results of posterior occipitocervical fusions were analyzed retrospectively based on the results of post-operative radiographs. Objectives: To investigate subjective methods for the evaluation of occipitocervical stabilization by posterior fusion. Summary of Literature Review: Few studies have been performed that describe the methods utilized for the evaluation of the union of the instrumented segments. Materials and Methods: Occipitocervical fusions were performed in 16 patients from 1995 to 2004. The patients underwent occipitocervical fusions with autogenous iliac bone grafting and wire fixation (5), loop and sublaminar wire fixation (3), C-D occipitocervical rod (2), and contoured reconstruction plate (6). The stability and failure of the instrumentation in the fusion sites were evaluated with flexion/extension lateral radiographs. The stability was evaluated by a change in the degrees and distances between the occiput and cervical vertebrae. R e s u l t s: Two of five patients who had undergone wire fixation with autogenous bone grafting were considered to have a nonunion because of persistent segmental instability: greater than 2 and 2 mm three months postoperatively. In the other patients, we were unable to determine the presence of a solid fusion mass at the fusion site, because of overlapping of the instrumentation devices and graft bones. However, since there was no definite motion that indicated segmental instability and instrumentation breakage or loosening on flexion and extension radiographs, we considered these as stable fixations. Conclusion: It was difficult to evaluate whether or not the grafts were incorporated into the recipient sites, due to the complexity of the occipitocervical junction and the overlapping of the instrumentation. After removal of the external immobilization 3 months postoperatively, although flexion/extension radiographs taken 6 months postoperatively, demonstrated no motion at the fusion site, the occipitocervical fusions were judged to be stabilized rather than fused.

The types and characteristics of services that airport service systems provide have recently been diversified and specialized to meet various needs of users and their travelling activities. A service for the mobility handicapped is one of the newly demanded services. However, current services for them, which are provided by most of the Korean airports, are not sufficient to satisfy their needs. Additionally, there exist a lot of constraints in the use of those services, which makes it difficult for the mobility handicapped to use them effectively. Another problem is that a lot of the mobility handicapped do not even know that airports now offer services specialized for them. Considering that Korean airports have been recognized as a top-level service provider for about decades, it can be claimed that such an inferior quality of services for the mobility handicapped should be urgently improved. With this issue in mind, this study aims to propose an approach to improving the quality of airport services for the mobility handicapped. Firstly, we examined the actual conditions of the services for the mobility handicapped and identified the limitations of the current services, based on the results of literature review and questionnaire survey against the mobility handicapped and stakeholders of the services currently provided. Then we established a set of design improvement requirements and suggested several ways to improve the services for the mobility handicapped. Finally, we pointed out several issues to be resolved to design better specialized services for the mobility handicapped.