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  • Titanium or Steel?

    Hey all, just got off the phone with Dr. Good (my surgeon) a few hours ago...he called me to answer some questions I sent him via email. Anyway, one of the things we talked about was whether he was planning to use Titanium or Stainless Steel in my fusion. He said for me has was definitely using stainless steel as its apparently stronger than Titanium and with my kyphosis, he needs the strength to get my lordosis back. I always thought Titanium was stronger than stainless steel but who knows. What do you have in your back and why? Would be curious how often steel is used vs. titanium.

    Nitram
    Pre-Surgery Lumbar 65 degrees
    A/P Fusion T10-Pelvis by Dr. Christopher Good
    Virginia Spine Institute, Reston, VA 3/17/10, 3/18/10
    Post-Surgery Lumbar 19 degrees, and 2" in height

  • #2
    There are other flavors besides 316/L SS or titanium alloy ...

    My hardware is a Stryker XIA III system made of Vitallium - a proprietary cobalt, chromium, moly alloy.

    Pam
    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


    VIEW MY X-RAYS
    EMAIL ME

    Comment


    • #3
      My surgeon used stainless steel on me.
      Aug.17,09 Anterior
      Aug.20,09 Posterior
      Fused T-10 to Sacral Pelvis
      Cedars-Sinai
      Dr.Pashman

      Sheri 47 years young
      Husband married 30 years
      3 kids 29,28,25
      4 grandkids 10,8,5,3

      Comment


      • #4
        Synthes "Pangea system"

        http://www.teltra.org/orthomit/site/...ngeaJ6418A.pdf

        This site goes deep. Plenty of neat tid-bits for the connoisseur.
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Your surgeon will determine your hardware and material. There are many reasons why decisions are made in this subject, and can get involved.

        My surgeon selected 316 at first, then 2 years later changed his mind. My talks with my surgeon took 2-1/2 years before my surgeries.

        I don’t know the stats on 316 vs Titanium? I would guess its probably 50-50.

        Ed
        49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
        Pre surgery curves T70,L70
        ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
        Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

        Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

        My x-rays
        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Nitram View Post
          Hey all, just got off the phone with Dr. Good (my surgeon) a few hours ago...he called me to answer some questions I sent him via email. Anyway, one of the things we talked about was whether he was planning to use Titanium or Stainless Steel in my fusion. He said for me has was definitely using stainless steel as its apparently stronger than Titanium and with my kyphosis, he needs the strength to get my lordosis back. I always thought Titanium was stronger than stainless steel but who knows. What do you have in your back and why? Would be curious how often steel is used vs. titanium.

          Nitram
          I have stainless steel--my surgeon's exact words were "I prefer the properties of stainless steel--it's less brittle than Titanium." The other surgeon I saw said he would have used Titanium.

          I'm sure every doctor has their own personal preferance.
          __________________________________________
          Debbe - 50 yrs old

          Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
          Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

          Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
          Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
          Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

          Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
          Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

          Comment


          • #6
            I have 4 Titanium rods. It's lighter and Dr. B's preference, especially for my tiny frame (he used pediatric rods for the posterior fusion).
            Chris
            A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
            Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
            Post-op curve: 12 degrees
            Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

            Comment


            • #7
              I have titanium instrumentation. Anteriorly, i have the Synfix LR system and posteriorly, i have the USS11 instrumentation. Both products are from the Synthes International Company. I think my surgeon uses this product for all his surgeries and i think he uses it also to teach at our Medical Uni.
              Vali
              44 years young! now 45
              Surgery - June 1st, 2009
              Dr David Hall - Adelaide Spine Clinic
              St. Andrews Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia
              Pre-op curve - 58 degree lumbar
              Post -op - 5 degrees
              T11 - S1 Posterior
              L4/5 - L5/S1 Anterior Fusion

              Comment


              • #8
                My surgeon used stainless steel on me. He said that titanium is more difficult to work with because if there is even a tiny nick in the titanium which can occur when bending the rods, it is more likely to break whereas SS won't break. So I guess he is in agreement with Debbei's Doctor that titanium is more brittle than SS.
                Sally
                Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Dr. Lenke used stainless steel with me. Janet
                  Janet

                  61 years old--57 for surgery

                  Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                  Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                  Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                  Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                  T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                  All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You know ... it's been just over 2 years since my surgery, and I still haven't read of anyone else who has Vitallium rods.

                    Interesting.
                    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                    VIEW MY X-RAYS
                    EMAIL ME

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Titanium

                      My daughter had titanium rods put in so they could do MRI to monitor other condition requiring a MRI for best results.
                      Shirley
                      Mom to Amanda, 18, Scoliosis T58, previous Spinecor bracing for 9 months before diagnosed with Chiari I CM, and Syringomyelia (Syrinx) SM. CM/SM decompression surgery 12/4/06, Spinal fusion surgery with titanium rods and hardware and full correction 8/1/07 at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

                      Also mom to Megan, 14, with diagnosis PDD-NOS on the autism spectrum

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by txmarinemom View Post
                        You know ... it's been just over 2 years since my surgery, and I still haven't read of anyone else who has Vitallium rods.

                        Interesting.
                        Pam, I am sure cost has something to do with it. A lot of hospitals dictate what equipment Doctors are allowed to use except for unusual circumstances. Probably because you still play softball, you got the very strongest hardware. Just an educated guess on my part. Sally
                        Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                        Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                        Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                        Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                        New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                        Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                        "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Hi Pam

                          FLT had vitallium rods installed back in October.
                          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9465

                          I wouldnt forget something like that. LOL
                          Ed
                          49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
                          Pre surgery curves T70,L70
                          ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
                          Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

                          Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
                          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

                          My x-rays
                          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

                          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I am having a revision in 3ish weeks . I currently have titanium rods and my doc ( a different surgeon than my original surgeon) is cutting rods off at my lumbar area and replacing with (he said) a cobalt type of rod which he said is stronger.
                            May 2008 Fusion T4 - S1, Pre-op Curves T45, L70 (age 48). Unsuccessful surgery.

                            March 18, 2010 (age 50). Revision with L3 Osteotomy, Replacement of hardware T11 - S1 , addition of bilateral pelvic fixation. Correction of sagittal imbalance and kyphosis.

                            January 24, 2012 (age 52) Revision to repair pseudoarthrosis and 2 broken rods at L3/L4.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by titaniumed View Post
                              Hi Pam

                              FLT had vitallium rods installed back in October.
                              http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9465

                              I wouldnt forget something like that. LOL
                              Ed
                              Well, I wouldn't have either - had I seen it! BTW, I was quoted in that thread as saying Vitallium was expensive ... I don't recall ever saying that, but maybe I did. Seems like when the grad student was trying to get hardware samples to test that was an issue. I've slept since then.

                              I know I've posted Hanson's comments to me when I questioned the strength of the material. And, yes ... he knew I planned to go back to ball (and sliding) - and felt it was a good fit strength and flexibility wise.

                              Whether he uses that flavor of the XIA III (or whether he even regularly uses any flavor of the XIA- it comes in 316 and Ti, as well), I don't know.

                              I hate to hear FLT experienced broken hardware, but I guess I'm glad Vitallium was on the replacement end!

                              Anyway, that still only makes 2 of us. I wonder why?
                              Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                              AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                              41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                              Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                              Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                              VIEW MY X-RAYS
                              EMAIL ME

                              Comment

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