Which approach seems better?

[LindaRacine]

The lowest vertebrae articulate approx 20 degrees each. Not all vertebrae have this figure, just the lowest 2.

I cannot reach the floor, I can get to about 3-4 inches from the floor. I stood next to a scoli I know who has her lowest untouched, and she can reach the floor.

Ed

There are some folks fused to S1 who can touch the floor. I think it depends mostly on how flexible the hips are and how tight the hamstrings are.

--Linda

[titaniumed]

Linda

You are right. If I stretched more, I could make it....it wouldnt be easy. I know I wouldnt want to have another one of those "soft tissue injury" events again.

Ed

[jrnyc]

hi ripley
my question to you was whether you were concerned about how low to the sacrum or how high on thoracic the fusion would be.....
i guess your reply tells me that you are worried about both...
i am primarily concerned with how low my fusion would have to be...
it would have to begin at either T 11 or T 4...i do not know how much that part of it matters to me...but that just might be ignorance on my part...

i wish you luck in your decision....i know sometimes surgeons give their patients a choice in some of these matters, or, when picking a surgeon, a patient is actually making that choice by what the surgeon is convinced is right for them....

what i would suggest to you is to get more consults...that way you can see if there is a majority opinion of the top surgeons that you consult with..
also, i think with younger patients, surgeons often opt for the shorter fusions when possible....but the older we get, i think the higher the risk of hurting our backs anyway....at least, that is my opinion...i know my scoli was quite manageable.. until i herniated discs...then all heck broke loose!

best of luck with whatever you decide...
jess

[Doodles]

Boy, I must be doing something wrong. I can't get more than 2 or 3 inches past my knees if I keep my knees straight. It's not changed much at all over the last year or so. I exercise all the time; maybe I should concentrate more on stretching. I Can most people get near the floor who are fused to S1? Janet

[golfnut]

Thankful it was not my decision

I totally trusted Dr. Lenke and never questioned the vertebrae that he thought should be fused even though I was aware that the lower the fusion, the less flexibility. I am almost 7 months post op and I can honestly say that I don't think my quality of life is the least bit compromised. I know in will have a slightly different golf swing and that I probably won't be able to swing my hips as much in my tap dancing class, so to me it has been a minor sacrifice for a straight spine, no rib hump, and no worry of curvature progression.

[Pooka1]

Boy, I must be doing something wrong. I can't get more than 2 or 3 inches past my knees if I keep my knees straight. It's not changed much at all over the last year or so. I exercise all the time; maybe I should concentrate more on stretching. I Can most people get near the floor who are fused to S1? Janet

I think anyone including folks fused to pelvis can stretch the hamstrings enough to eventually touch the floor.

But you should be aware that some percentage of scoliosis patients have some associated connective tissue issue that lets them lay their hands on the floor with straight legs and without any stretching. So you shouldn't compare yourself to random other patients.

[ripley]

Hi everyone. I suppose more consults are necessary. Sounds like flexibility when fusing to sacrum varies per individual. I didn't realize there would be more pain when going higher. However, I do tend to lean toward the longer fusion so as to avoid future problems. Thanks to all for the input!

[JenniferG]

Janet, me too. If I stand with my legs together and bend, I can reach maybe 3 inches below my knees. But it doesn't stop me from picking things up off the floor. I spread my legs apart, a bit like a giraffe and swing down from my hips.

[Doodles]

Jennifer--
Glad I'm not the only one! I definitely get whatever off the floor. It ain't pretty but I get down there. The giraffe analogy might be pretty close! Janet

[peachrush7]

Hi everyone. I suppose more consults are necessary. Sounds like flexibility when fusing to sacrum varies per individual. I didn't realize there would be more pain when going higher. However, I do tend to lean toward the longer fusion so as to avoid future problems. Thanks to all for the input!

Just wanted to throw it out there, I had really bad shoulder pain, in both shoulders before the surgery...for years and years, even before I had the herniated disc/nerve pain in my legs. It was always bothering me, it even made it hard to sleep/get comfy at night. My surgeon thought it was in relation to my rotation up top, but who knows.

Anyway, I'm fused all the way up to T4 and my shoulder pain has been significantly reduced post-op. I was worried pre-op about the surgery making it worse, but it turns out all that worry was for nothing. I still have a shoulder that is tighter, and gets sore more easily, but the stronger I'm getting and the further post-op I get, the better it's feeling. I also get a gentle massage every other week, and that has helped my muscles relax quite a bit in my neck/shoulders.

Thought I'd throw my 2 cents out there, so you know not everyone who has a high fusion has worse pain up top. Just wanted to encourage you!

[sheri66]

Okay, I am fused T-10 to S1.I had to try it and I can only bend to my knees.I better start stretching