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Bad then good news for Spencer

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  • Bad then good news for Spencer

    Hi all,

    Just wanted to update you all on Spencer. We noticed he was acting kind of funny this week and so we called his hip ortho, Dr. Carrol, at Shriners SLC and she ordered x-rays. Yep you guessed it, Spencer had broken his hip. It was a very strange fracture right through the ball of the femur. No one is really sure how it happened, but I have a theory that his spinal fusion shifted the stress distribution and the applied loads in his skeletal frame, and his hip ball likely had a congenital flaw which finally gave way under the newly shifted loads (that's the engineer in me ). I asked Dr. Carrol about this and she said it was very likely so since the break was pathological and there was no evidence of other trauma in the area, and since Spencer does not have brittle bone disease.

    At any rate, that was the bad news. The good news is that Dr. Carrol was able to set the hip without having to go in with plates and screws. So Spencer was able to avoid additional surgery so soon after his spinal fusion. Now Spencer is in a spica cast for about 6 weeks, but otherwise looks to mend very soon, and is already smiling after the reduction procedure. We have not seen any smiles from him for almost two weeks so it is really good to see, since it means we have corrected the problem causing him pain.

    Thanks again to everyone on this forum, for being there to listen and encourage when we need you.

    Robert
    Spencer's Dad

    11 year old boy with PMD Luekodystrophy
    Nonambulatory, nonverbal, nonweight bearing
    VRO and Pemberton hip reconstruction at age 5
    Nissen fundo at at age 7
    Subdermal spinal drug pump at age 9
    Complete Spinal Fusion Jan. 9, 2007 at age 10.
    118 degree curve before surgery - less than 25 after!!

  • #2
    Robert,

    It broke my heart to read that you hadn't seen Spencer smile in almost two weeks. I'm so glad he is now smiling again and hopefully no longer in pain.

    Keep us posted - as I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.
    mariaf305@yahoo.com
    Mom to David, age 17, braced June 2000 to March 2004
    Vertebral Body Stapling 3/10/04 for 40 degree curve (currently mid 20's)

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/ScoliosisTethering/

    http://pediatricspinefoundation.org/

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    • #3
      Glad to hear Spencer is doing well after this latest setback. What an awesome and intuitive dad you are! That is great Spencer didn't have to endure another surgery. Prayers that things continue to go well.

      Renee

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      • #4
        Robert, glad to hear they were able to help Spencer out and make him feel good again! A smile is a beautiful thing
        Connie - Mom to Billy 5
        (CRS/VACTERLS incl. tethered cord, IA, single kidney, hemisacrum, levoscoliosis with hemivertebrae (fusion T11 to S2/hips 8/06), extra left rib, hypospadius, hypoplastic left leg w/clubfoot and 4.5cm length discrepancy,GI issues) conni60640@aol.com, http://members.tripod.com/conni60640-ivil/
        TC support group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LMC-TCS/
        Congenital scoliosis support group - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...liosisSupport/

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