Mobility of levels To fuse or not to fuse?

[titaniumed]

history of anterior spine surgery

Here is an article that covers the history of anterior spine surgery.

I always wondered if every level could be accessed from the front especially up high in the thoracic spine. The answer is yes.

This will be of value for anyone with large curves up high or kyphosis patients....
Ed

http://www.minnesotamedicine.com/Cur...2/Default.aspx

[tonibunny]

The link didn't work for me Ed, but I managed to find an article called "Development and Growth of Anterior Spine Surgery in Minnesota" by looking at Google's webcache - is this the article?

I was a bit disappointed that it doesn't mention Robert Roaf, a surgeon from Oswestry in the UK, who started researching anterior approaches for scoliosis surgery in 1947 and was already doing them in the late 1950s.

[Pooka1]

Same title so I assume same article. Winter and Garamella, yes?

[titaniumed]

Hi Toni and Sharon

Yes, that’s the article. The Dr Winter article.

I have seen Robert Roaf mentioned in my dabbling....... Dabbling into the subject of complex anteriors and the current neck issues people have been experiancing here lately.

Why is kyphosis such a bugger????? We know that anteriors “balance” fusions, why are kyphotic curves and the transitioning to the cervical lordosis an issue? (heads looking down) I wonder if it has to do with the adjustable tables???

Scroll down, TB attempts happened in the 1800s which is amazing.....

Anyway, this is my latest interest and ordered another expensive surgical textbook. Hope my eyes hold out. LOL
Ed

[hdugger]

Hi Ed,

When you get that sorted out, could you tell us

I *think* the issue is that they know what "normal" is for scoliosis - they want to get as close to zero as possible. But for kyphosis, zero is as wrong as 70. I've seen reports where they think that overcorrecting is causing the problem, and others where they think that undercorrecting is causing the problem.

It's the whole Goldilocks syndrome - unless it's just right, it doesn't work.