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Question about Kyphosis & Thoracic curvature of spine

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  • Question about Kyphosis & Thoracic curvature of spine

    I have been wondering this ever since my surgery...Do most people who have a thoracic curve also have kyphosis as well? Normal kyphosis is 40 degrees or less. My kyphosis was 68 degrees, my thoracic curve was 55 degress and my lumbar curve was 58 degrees. The surgery brought my kyphosis down to a normal level. I spoke to someone today who also had a 50 degree thoracic curve but she had normal kyphosis. Just wondering why some people who also have scoliosis develop it and why some people do not.

    I'm thinking the abnormal kyphosis was why I have had so many neck issues since my surgery. My neck leaned very forward before surgery and was not in alignment with the rest of my spine. Now, 5 months after surgery, it is getting alittle more in alignment. I'm pretty sure that all my shoulder blade pain is coming from my C5/6 disc in my neck. My MRI shows problems in that particular disc. Has anyone else who had surgery to correct scoliosis/kyphosis have worse neck pain after surgery?
    Surgery date: June 8, 2010 with Dr. Boachie
    Thoracic curve: 55 degrees, corrected to 25 degrees
    Lumbar curve: 58 degrees, corrected to 27 degrees
    Posterior-only surgery, Levels T3-L3
    31 year old mother of 2 young kids

  • #2
    No. While kyphoscoliosis isn't uncommon, scoliosis is far more common without abnormal kyphosis than with it.

    --Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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    • #3
      I don't have any formal knowledge, but, since I have a son with both scoliosis and kyphosis (curves near the size of yours, but without the lumbar curve) I've been paying attention to people with kyphosis (either with or without scoliosis) who have surgery. Totally informally, I notice a great deal of neck problems and/or proximal joint kyphosis in these cases. My sense is that doctors can't quite get the sagittal balance right, but that's just a guess. It seems to have something to do with the new pedicle screw technique, I think.

      Most of the cases I'm aware of never become a big issue - maybe they get a bit of forward head stuff, but it doesn't mostly turn out to be a big deal. But, yeah, I definitely do notice neck stuff in patients with kyphosis.

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      • #4
        Oh, I mean to add that reverse issue is more common - people with thoracic curves often have hypokyphosis (a smaller than usual kyphotic curve). That causes its own set of problems - leaving much less space for the lungs to expand. The kyphosis, although more obviously cosmetically, doesn't put the same kind of pressure on the internal organs.

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