Hello All--
First, I want to say how wonderful this forum is and what a resource it has been for me. Thank you, all you brave patients and parents out there, for sharing. I only wish I had found you all a year ago; I might have done things differently.
My 12-year-old son was diagnosed with scoliosis a year ago. He wore a Boston brace for six months, during which time his thoracic curve progressed from about 35 to 40. He has a compensating lumbar curve of about 24. In a little over a week we will go to Atlanta so he can be fitted for a SpineCor brace. We know that the odds are against him avoiding surgery, but we're trying everything to avoid it. The best we may be able to do is delay until he stops growing.
In the meantime, we are also trying to learn as much as we can about surgery. Does anyone out there have any experience with UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for surgery? Our pediatric orthopaedist (a surgeon) there comes highly recommended, but I don't know anyone who has experience with the surgery at that location.
Also, a few technical questions:
--what's the difference between functional and structural scoliosis?
--at what point does a compensatory curve become a structural one?
--how does vertebral wedging happen, and when?
Thanks very much for any info anyone may be able to share on this.
First, I want to say how wonderful this forum is and what a resource it has been for me. Thank you, all you brave patients and parents out there, for sharing. I only wish I had found you all a year ago; I might have done things differently.
My 12-year-old son was diagnosed with scoliosis a year ago. He wore a Boston brace for six months, during which time his thoracic curve progressed from about 35 to 40. He has a compensating lumbar curve of about 24. In a little over a week we will go to Atlanta so he can be fitted for a SpineCor brace. We know that the odds are against him avoiding surgery, but we're trying everything to avoid it. The best we may be able to do is delay until he stops growing.
In the meantime, we are also trying to learn as much as we can about surgery. Does anyone out there have any experience with UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for surgery? Our pediatric orthopaedist (a surgeon) there comes highly recommended, but I don't know anyone who has experience with the surgery at that location.
Also, a few technical questions:
--what's the difference between functional and structural scoliosis?
--at what point does a compensatory curve become a structural one?
--how does vertebral wedging happen, and when?
Thanks very much for any info anyone may be able to share on this.
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