where & when does the bone graph come from?

[LynnMarie74]

Hey everyone....me again. I have my pre op on Jan 8th & Im sure I will find this fun stuff out then....BUT until then, where does the bone graph come from for the fusion...as far as where, within my body...as Im donating my own. Hip bone Id assume? And, its this typically something they do along w/the surgery or before sometime? And, Im assuming this would involve yet another surgery/scar...cuz the 2 from the anterior and posterior wont be enough, right? (pure sarcazm of course) Let me know -thanks everyone!! What would I do w/out this site?!?!?!?!?

[trishthedish]

Hey, Lynn-
Mine came from a couple ribs they took in order to reduce my rib hump. That way they didn't need to whittle on my poor hips. I got my records from the hospital and read my op reports. I had a long fusion, so they used the ribs, some donor bone, some bone morphogenetic protein and some bone marrow that they aspirated from my iliac crests, but no actual bone from my hips.

What about everybody else? =)

[Geish]

They used the Transverse and Spinous Processes from my vertebrae that they removed to achieve a better correction. They also used some BMP to help speed up the fusion. I have a long fusion, T4 to the Sacrum.

[LynnMarie74]

Thanks Trish & Geish....so it can come from various places.....did they do it at the same time they did the actual surgery then or was it done a whole different day?

[Geish]

I had posterior surgery and they just snipped them off as they were doing the surgery. My surgery was close to 9 hours. I ended up wearing a brace for almost 5 months whenever I wasn't lying down or in the shower. I wasn't allowed to stand up in the hospital until I was given my brace, not that I had any desire to stand up before then. Oh, I went home on day 6 post op. It was a long, rainy, foggy, snowy, heavy traffic ride home...4 1/2 hours!

[LynnMarie74]

Geish - wow, I just now realized you have/had is a better word....3 curves huh? You look great in that post op pic. How many weeks/months out was that one taken? Wow--and home on day 6!! I wonder why I need to have anterior AND posterior??? Questions for the doc I guess......

[Qikdraw]

They used my ribs. I had 8 ribs in total removed, and they used those to help fuse me.

Did anyone have their ribs grow back? Mine did, but then I was very young and I guess that makes a difference.

[LindaRacine]

They used my ribs. I had 8 ribs in total removed, and they used those to help fuse me.

Did anyone have their ribs grow back? Mine did, but then I was very young and I guess that makes a difference.

Actually, the ribs will grow back if the periosteum (a membrane that covers ribs) isn't removed.

--Linda

[Kitty]

Hi Geish,

I have a question? Why did you have to wear a brace and how did they determine how long you had to wear it? What benefit did it have and were there any restrictions they placed on you when wearing it??

And OMG!!! ribs grow back?????? How does bone grow???? How unique!!

Lisa

[Snoopy]

For my daughter, they did "Smith-Peterson osteotomies" at varies places on her spine in order to get a better correction so they used the bone from that for her fusion.

Mary Lou

[Geish]

Hi Geish,

I have a question? Why did you have to wear a brace and how did they determine how long you had to wear it? What benefit did it have and were there any restrictions they placed on you when wearing it??

And OMG!!! ribs grow back?????? How does bone grow???? How unique!!

Lisa

I wore the brace because it was such a long fusion. I think they do that as more of a reminder than anything else that you are not allowed to bend. The restrictions were the same as without the brace with the exception that I wasn't allowed to sit up in bed until I got the brace on. It took about 3 weeks before I figured out how to get it on by myself so I didn't have to wake up one of my daughters when I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[Geish]

Geish - wow, I just now realized you have/had is a better word....3 curves huh? You look great in that post op pic. How many weeks/months out was that one taken? Wow--and home on day 6!! I wonder why I need to have anterior AND posterior??? Questions for the doc I guess......

Hmmm...I think it was taken at about 5 weeks post op. And yes there were 3! My poor torso was pretty smushed by the time surgery rolled around. Now its all stretched out and my tummy is pretty flat! I also gained close to 2 inches in height.

I think some surgeons do what they know, so you get an anterior approach or a posterior approach or both. I think others do which ever approach they feel will give the best correction. I asked if I was having an anterior approach and my surgeon said he didn't feel that my back/surgery required one.

[abhbarry]

Hi LynnMarie,

Mine came from part of my hip as well as from the bone off the vertebrae. I don't have an extra scar on my hip, but I do have what looks like a little bump or mole where the graph came from. Some people say that the part hurts a lot, but to put your mine at ease - mine hasn't bothered me. I don't even know it is there.

I'll be thinking of you on the 14th. Oh - because of your drive back to Milwaukee - make sure you have LOTS of pillows in your car to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Make sure you also take enough pain meds right before you get in the car.

Best,
Anya

[Qikdraw]

Actually, the ribs will grow back if the periosteum (a membrane that covers ribs) isn't removed.

--Linda

So they will grow back no matter the age, as long as that membrane stays?

Thats pretty cool!