Originally posted by darrin90
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Hypokyphosis ???
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Be happy!
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but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by rohrer01 View PostI don't understand either. According to the National Scoliosis Foundation, the one sponsoring this forum, anything over 40* is considered a MAJOR curve. Just a point of interest, since that is commonly used as the "magic" number for surgery. Some surgeons use 50* as their "magic" number and yet others stick by 60* (my current doc uses 60*). This makes no sense, since we are not numbers. They need to take into consideration the "whole" person rather than just a cobb angle. I'll bet you can see an array of severity of disease within a group of people with a cobb of 40*. There are things to consider like rotation, span of vertebrae covered by the curve, curve location, etc. It seems as none of these things are even considered. In fact, at my last two appointments, my doctor never even actually looked at my back. His assistant did the exam with my clothes on! How much can you see there? There was absolutely NO lung function test done either. There was no bending test to measure rotation. It just wasn't a very thorough exam at all.
I had no idea that bending Xrays show rotation. No one said a word to me about this (had bending Xrays at JHU). Is this generally accepted as he way to check rotation??
In looking at other factors to decide about surgery, I'm deciding that the most determining thing for me is my congenital flat back condition. This creates sagittal imbalance much like what so many of my age cohorts have gotten only iatrogenically - that is, some thirty or so years after an instrumented fusion. Also, my lumbar kyphosis; it popped up out of no where a few years ago. Both those latter are getting worse and both create pain. They seen to exist independent of the lumbar Cobb, which in the grand scheme of things, may in fact, be relatively stable.
All these considerations are driving me nuts. Can't imagine seeing your doc and having him REFUSE surgery for me, if he too came up with a Cobb under 60 degrees like the one at JHU!?!
Sometimes I feel like flipping a coin.Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far:
Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome, 69 - somehow,
main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30
Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this a different grade too. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive
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hey rohr
was that doctor you're referring to a surgeon? if so, i'd steer very clear of such a doctor!! i wouldn't expect general practitioners to necessarily know what to look for, but i sure would expect a surgeon to know!
i think in scoliosis, a cut off number is expected, or felt to be needed...part of their criteria...but the surgeons i've seen, and especially the one i would go with for surgery, considered all...including my "particularly hypokyphotic" situation, listhesis, etc...did lung function measurement, took bending Xrays (the "good" kind, laying down)and most especially pointed out how much my very degenerated discs are now causing a lot of my present pain...he also mentioned how much stenosis and arthritis were contributing...so i knew he was looking at all factors involved...every surgeon i've seen liked the idea of botox shots i get in thoracic area, and didnt want to start above T11, even though i questioned the future of needing surgery further up the spine at some point...
all in all, that doctor you saw sounds inadequate to the job needed!!
i also can never forget that surgery is NO guarantee of freedom from pain or lack of problems...thus, i hesitate...
hope you feel better
jess
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Originally posted by jrnyc View Posthey rohr
was that doctor you're referring to a surgeon? if so, i'd steer very clear of such a doctor!! i wouldn't expect general practitioners to necessarily know what to look for, but i sure would expect a surgeon to know!
i think in scoliosis, a cut off number is expected, or felt to be needed...part of their criteria...but the surgeons i've seen, and especially the one i would go with for surgery, considered all...including my "particularly hypokyphotic" situation, listhesis, etc...did lung function measurement, took bending Xrays (the "good" kind, laying down)and most especially pointed out how much my very degenerated discs are now causing a lot of my present pain...he also mentioned how much stenosis and arthritis were contributing...so i knew he was looking at all factors involved...every surgeon i've seen liked the idea of botox shots i get in thoracic area, and didnt want to start above T11, even though i questioned the future of needing surgery further up the spine at some point...
all in all, that doctor you saw sounds inadequate to the job needed!!
i also can never forget that surgery is NO guarantee of freedom from pain or lack of problems...thus, i hesitate...
hope you feel better
jessBe happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by darrin90rohrer, if you didn't already know, here is some information I found out about kyfosis browsing an norwegian website today:
In the thoratic sagittal plane (T5-T12) kyphotic curvatures under 10 degrees (<10) is named hypokyfosis, while curvatures from 10 to 40 degrees (10-40) is named normokyfosis, and curvatures over 40 degrees (>40) is named hyperkyfosis.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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I've never heard of a double C-shaped spine. I can post my x-rays again. I'm having some trouble as the picture is too large from this computer. Let me see if I can copy if from the other thread. Unfortunately, I did not copy my side standing x-rays to my computer so you can not see the hypokyphosis I'm talking about.
I've been playing around with my computer and let's try this again!Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by jrnyc View Postwell. rohr...that is kinda what i thought you had...i dont know what anyone means by "double c" curves!!
how does your neck feel...that doesnt look like it would be good...?
jess
I'm also wondering if my "inappropriate sinus tachycardia" or IST heart arrythmia isn't due to the lack of space in my chest wall. I read somewhere on here the other day, or maybe doing research on the internet, that severe hypokyphosis can cause exercise intolerance, which is the primary symptom of IST. My heart beats so rapidly because I can't catch my breath. I wonder if that's because I don't have room in there to expand my lungs enough to keep up with the oxygen demand during exercise? As I type this, I'm having some gnarly pain in my right rib cage. WOW, "gnarly". Does that date me or what? LOLBe happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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One more unimportant thing. You know how people tend to hold a pillowcase under their chin when putting in the pillow? I can't do that. I can't hold anything under my chin. I keep trying, but I just can't do it. I used to be able to do that. Being in the medical profession for part of my short working life, I know that this is a big no, no. But I watched my mom do it the whole time I was growing up. I have to do it the nursing way.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by darrin90rohrer, if you didn't already know, here is some information I found out about kyphosis browsing an norwegian website today:
In the thoratic sagittal plane (T5-T12) kyphotic curvatures under 10 degrees (<10) is named hypokyphosis, while curvatures from 10 to 40 degrees (10-40) is named normokyphosis, and curvatures over 40 degrees (>40) is named hyperkyphosis.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by rohrer01 View PostThis is the same SRS surgeon that I've been talking about. Don't want to mention his name again, for fear (the other nasty thread) of being legally libel for discrediting him on a public forum. He practices in Madison, WI. He was always really nice to me before. This last time he wasn't mean, but not too thorough, either.Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
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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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Looking at my profile x-rays up close, it almost looks like there might be a mild spondolisthesis at about T-10. Does anyone else see that? I have a LOT of pain in that area, as it feels unstable.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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Originally posted by LindaRacine View PostIf you post only truthful statements, there is no need to worry about libel.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
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