Need pre-op tips!

[Lilysaidwhat]

I have chronic pain which is all on the exterior of the lumbar curve and due to muscular fatigue and compensation associated with the upper curve. My lower curve has not changed since childhood, depending on who measures the xrays that day, but I have severe degeneration in my L1 and L2 - they look like one of those double lego kids' toys. I believe the fusion of the whole shebang is to try to reduce the pain and make the whole thing more stable.

Please understand that my knowledge of the human body is largely based on the electric game Operation. I'm not sure if they are going to relocate my breadbasket or fuse my funny bone during this surgery!

[Pooka1]

I have chronic pain which is all on the exterior of the lumbar curve and due to muscular fatigue and compensation associated with the upper curve. My lower curve has not changed since childhood, depending on who measures the xrays that day, but I have severe degeneration in my L1 and L2 - they look like one of those double lego kids' toys. I believe the fusion of the whole shebang is to try to reduce the pain and make the whole thing more stable.

Please understand that my knowledge of the human body is largely based on the electric game Operation. I'm not sure if they are going to relocate my breadbasket or fuse my funny bone during this surgery!

I hope you stick around. I think you are contributing a lot to the group.

[LindaRacine]

Wow. I must say I suspected that some might based on the length of fusions in the adult crowd versus that in the kids crowd on this forum but I assumed it was just a random thing.

Is that true for all structural T curves or just large ones? Do compensatory L curves become structural in adulthood under moderate T curves??? Wouldn't that be a reason to fuse all structural T curves before adulthood?? To save the lumbar???

I don't know the answer to that, but I'd guess it's just larger curves. Adults with smaller thoracic curves aren't typically patients. In fact, I can't remember ever seeing an adult with a small thoracic curve. (That is, I'm sure they exist, but they don't typically seek treatment.)