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  • Newbie her for support, info

    Hello. I am here for some support and any and all info you all might give me. My name is Angela and I'm from the Columbus, Ohio area. I am 29 yrs old, married with a 2 yr old daughter. I have a pretty mean case of scoliosis- now 74 degrees and will be having surgery in June. I also have collapsing ribs, DDD in almost all discs in the back, a mean case of arthritis in my spine & rib areas and a cyst in my spinal cord (which my doc thinks I've had since birth and isn't concerned about). My scoli has been progressing rapidly since the birth of my daughter. Before my daughter it was 38 degrees and now its 74 degrees. My surgeon will be doing posterior & anterior fusion from T5 to L3 and removing ribs as mine are now collapsing. I was wondering if anyone else has had a rapid progression like this. My back would hurt some here in there before the birth of my daughter, but now it is constant and pretty severe. My docs want me on SS Disability and that is what will most likely happen- anyone out there had luck? any tips? My docs are writing recommedation letter (I hope that will help). Also, has anyone else had surgery while their child was really young? Any pointers, ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm blessed with a great support team to help me after surgery, but don't want to loose out on the special bond me and my daughter have. This waiting to have surgery thing is hard, makes you worry about alot of things!!

    Also, by any chance does anyone else have this "cyst" in their spinal cord? Was wondering if maybe a link between it and the scoli? Any adults here have scoli and their kids do too?

    Thanks!
    Angela
    29 y/o f w/76 degree curve.Surgery done on June 26th, A/P, rods, instumentaion, rib removal- now 18 degrees!!

  • #2
    Hi...

    Yes, it's entirely probable that the cyst caused your scoliosis.

    --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

    Comment


    • #3
      Also, by any chance does anyone else have this "cyst" in their spinal cord? Was wondering if maybe a link between it and the scoli?
      Yes, it's called a synovial cyst and I have 2 of them on my spinal cord.
      I had anterior/posterior spinal fusion from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum) in February.
      The surgeons did not worry about the cysts either.

      I also have arthritis in my hips and left knee. The pain before my surgery was torturous but it is so much better now.

      As far as the disability, it is possible. I got mine but it took almost 4 1/2 years to get it.
      Scoliosis is one of the diseases they do not like to approve.
      Document everything. Always get copies of the doctors notes from every visit and get a disability attorney.
      You will be turned down the first time, every does.
      It's a hard fight but it can be won.

      Kat
      36 year old single mom of teens ages 14 & 15.
      Anterior/posterior spinal fusion on February 9th & 16th 2006 with Dr. Anthony Moreno who now has his own practice.
      Fused from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum)
      Curve pre-op = 70 degrees
      Curve post op = 20 degrees
      No pain anymore!!
      Google is your friend

      I am not a doctor and will never give medical advice. I will support and answer questions from personal experience only.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by LindaRacine
        Hi...

        Yes, it's entirely probable that the cyst caused your scoliosis.

        --Linda
        http://www.spine-health.com/topics/cd/cyst/cyst01.html

        Cysts do NOT causes scoliosis.

        Pain from a synovial cyst in the lumbar spine

        A synovial cyst is a relatively uncommon cause of spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine (lower back). It is a benign condition, and the symptoms and level of pain or discomfort may remain stable for many years.

        A synovial cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops as a result of degeneration in the spine. Because a synovial cyst develops from degeneration it is not often seen in patients younger than 45 and is most common in patients older than 65 years old.

        The fluid-filled sac creates pressure inside the spinal canal and this in turn can give a patient all the symptoms of spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a condition that occurs when degeneration in the facet joints causes pressure on the nerves as they exit the spine .

        Causes of a synovial cyst
        Synovial cysts develop as a result of degeneration in the facet joint in the lumbar spine. It is typically a process that only happens in the lumbar spine, and it almost always develops at the L4-L5 level (rarely at L3-L4).

        The pain probably comes from the venous blood around the nerves not being able to drain and this leads to pain and irritation of the nerves. Sitting down allows the blood to drain and relieves the pressure.

        The facet joint of the lumbar spine is just like any other joint in the body (such as the hips or knees):

        *

        It is composed of two opposing surfaces that are covered with cartilage
        *

        The cartilage is the smooth, very slippery surface that allows a joint to move
        *

        A thick capsule surrounds the entire joint, and within this is the synovium
        *

        The synovium is a thin film of tissue that generates fluid within the joint that helps further lubricate the joint
        *

        As the joint degenerates it can produce more fluid.

        As it degenerates, the cartilage looses its smooth, frictionless surface and the extra fluid can help by adding extra lubrication.

        It is thought that the synovial cyst develops in response this extra fluid. The fluid escapes out of the joint capsule through a one-way ball valve type hole, but stays within a synovial covering. This functionally pumps fluid one way into the fluid sac. The fluid, however, is not under a lot of pressure, as neurological deficits or cauda equina syndrome (loss of bowel and bladder control) is extremely uncommon even for very large cysts.
        36 year old single mom of teens ages 14 & 15.
        Anterior/posterior spinal fusion on February 9th & 16th 2006 with Dr. Anthony Moreno who now has his own practice.
        Fused from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum)
        Curve pre-op = 70 degrees
        Curve post op = 20 degrees
        No pain anymore!!
        Google is your friend

        I am not a doctor and will never give medical advice. I will support and answer questions from personal experience only.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by katblack
          Cysts do NOT causes scoliosis.
          There are a lot of different types of cysts. Here are just a few references I found where scoliosis caused by cysts are discussed:

          http://gait.aidi.udel.edu/res695/hom...ase/syrsco.htm
          http://www.e-neurosurgery.ws/intraspinalcysts.html
          http://www.emedicine.com/pmr/topic129.htm
          http://www.spine.org/fsp/prob_action...-scoliosis.cfm

          And, some synovial cysts can cause scoliosis:

          http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/journal/svol2_3/2030003.
          "Most cysts develop as a consequence of osteoarthritis of facet joints and are commonly associated with spondylolisthesis and less commonly with scoliosis. These include myxoid degeneration with cyst formation, increased hyaluronic acid production by fibroblasts and non-specific proliferation of mesenchymal cells."
          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

          Comment


          • #6
            http://gait.aidi.udel.edu/res695/hom...ase/syrsco.htm does not say anything about cysts causing scoliosis. It clearly says this;
            "The cystic lesions are typically located dorsal to the central canal. In this position they are presumed to impinge on the medial nuclear groups - ventromedial and dorsomedial, and thus affect the anterior horn cells, thereby affecting the muscles of the trunk in those segments."
            http://www.e-neurosurgery.ws/intraspinalcysts.html
            Scoliosis may develop as the cyst enlarges in a child. Frequently, these tumors occur at the level of the conus medullaris and cauda equina. and in addition to the usual symptoms and signs may cause lower spinal rigidity accompanied by spinal hyperlordosis. In these cases, pain is produced if the patient attempts to flatten his back. flex his trunk. or extend his legs. When associated with a dermal sinus, the cysts are usually diagnosed earlier in life, either through investigation of the obvious sinus tract or because of repeated bouts of meningitis.
            and..
            The symptoms and signs of a patient with a noncommunicating intradural arachnoidal cyst typically progress over several years. Occasionally. kyphoscoliosis will develop as the cyst enlarges.
            http://www.emedicine.com/pmr/topic129.htm
            Scheuermann kyphosis may be associated with an epidural cyst with an ensuing neurologic deficit.
            http://www.spine.org/fsp/prob_action...-scoliosis.cfm
            Another difference between the three types of scoliosis is that infantile and juvenile scoliosis have a higher association with other spinal abnormalities such as tumors, syringomyelia (a large tube or cyst in the spinal cord), and descending of the cerebellum into the spinal canal. These disorders require additional and different treatment from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
            http://www.rcsed.ac.uk/journal/svol2_3/2030003
            "Most cysts develop as a consequence of osteoarthritis of facet joints and are commonly associated with spondylolisthesis and less commonly with scoliosis. These include myxoid degeneration with cyst formation, increased hyaluronic acid production by fibroblasts and non-specific proliferation of mesenchymal cells."
            Just because cysts and scoliosis sometimes happen together does not indicate that the cysts cause the scoliosis as all of these reports you linked clearly state.
            They use words like may, occasionally and presumed.
            Those are not definitive answers to be able to say to someone that it is highly probable that a cyst caused their scoliosis.

            I read every article you linked and nowhere in them do any of them say definitively that a cyst caused anyone's scoliosis. They are very careful with their words. May, occasionally, and presume is not a yes.

            My 2 large synovial cysts did not causes my scoliosis and my surgeon did not see them as harmful just as hers did not see hers as a harmful issue either.

            I respectfully disagree with your statement and used your links/studies to look further into this subject and came to read them very carefully so I could say clearly that none of these reports state that any cyst causes scoliosis.
            36 year old single mom of teens ages 14 & 15.
            Anterior/posterior spinal fusion on February 9th & 16th 2006 with Dr. Anthony Moreno who now has his own practice.
            Fused from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum)
            Curve pre-op = 70 degrees
            Curve post op = 20 degrees
            No pain anymore!!
            Google is your friend

            I am not a doctor and will never give medical advice. I will support and answer questions from personal experience only.

            Comment


            • #7
              LindaRacine

              Linda, i just want to thank you for all your good advice that you give to us. I know that you have lots of experience and knowledge behind each comment and that you always are cautious not to throw out inaccurate statements. You have helped me more times than i can count, and i'm sure others too. Thank you for being a moderator here and providing us with a place like this where we can come for support and information that we can trust. God bless you!

              JoAnn

              Comment


              • #8
                Kat...

                You did read that I said PROBABLE, didn't you? So, I'm thinking that my response was more accurate than your response that "Cysts do NOT causes scoliosis."

                I know that you probably still have a bug up your butt about previous encounters, but I'm thinking that we both have better things to do than debate this issue.

                --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

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by LindaRacine
                  Kat...

                  You did read that I said PROBABLE, didn't you? So, I'm thinking that my response was more accurate than your response that "Cysts do NOT causes scoliosis."

                  I know that you probably still have a bug up your butt about previous encounters, but I'm thinking that we both have better things to do than debate this issue.

                  --Linda
                  Linda,
                  You and I did have problems in the past before my surgery when I was admittedly a nervous wreck with a lot of questions and I disagreed with your handling of information but, I deleted all of that negativity and came back after my surgery with wanting to help others who may be facing the type of surgery I had and some of the issues I have as well. (cysts, arthritis, disc degeneration and nerve segmentation's etc etc for women my age)
                  I respectfully disagreed with the statement and links you posted and through reading and research, I saw that those were not definitive studies.
                  I did not debunk your links to insult you as you did to me. I debunked them because they were not accurate. Not YOU were not accurate, but the studies were not.
                  I am not here to fight with you.
                  I want to help and offer up ideas, suggestions and opinions and careful study because I learned so much during my surgical experience, just as you do but if you would rather not have me here, please just say so and I will go away.

                  Regards,
                  Kat
                  36 year old single mom of teens ages 14 & 15.
                  Anterior/posterior spinal fusion on February 9th & 16th 2006 with Dr. Anthony Moreno who now has his own practice.
                  Fused from T-3 to S-1 (sacrum)
                  Curve pre-op = 70 degrees
                  Curve post op = 20 degrees
                  No pain anymore!!
                  Google is your friend

                  I am not a doctor and will never give medical advice. I will support and answer questions from personal experience only.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks?!?

                    Wow! Thanks for the replies?!? I will check out those websites, as I do believe that knowledge is power. However, I am very sad to see that as a new person here to these forums words of encouragement was distracted by two people bicquering... that was kind of disturbing to me.. I only hope that others coming here for support will get that.

                    Thanks!
                    Angela
                    29 y/o f w/76 degree curve.Surgery done on June 26th, A/P, rods, instumentaion, rib removal- now 18 degrees!!

                    Comment

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