Spine Curving After Harrington Rod Removal

[Megan]

Thanks everyone for brainstorming with me about this and for your thoughts and advice. It has been so nice to hear other's ideas. THANK YOU!

As far as pain goes, I am uncomfortable at times. But, nothing too severe, mainly muscles aching or knots that build up back there.

The only reason I thought my spine had a solid fusion was because of what my doctor told us after my revision surgery. But, other than that, I have not had any other investigative work done.

I followed the physical restrictions pretty carefully after my first surgery in '07, but I was not given any after my last surgery. Looking back, I had some intense pain after picking up my 3 year old niece a couple months after surgery. Maybe that triggered it. I don't know.

Again, thanks for your advice!

[Pooka1]

Cool.

The reason you weren't given any restrictions after hardware removal is the paradigm that you should not need any at that point.

Someone with a pseudoarthrosis hopefully will chime in about whether your picking up your niece and having an intense pain might be consistent with that. Maybe it isn't consistent with a pseudoarthrosis. Maybe it is just a recovery thing from the second surgery. I have no idea.

Did you ever have that type of pain while you had the hardware?

[Megan]

I don't remember having that type of pain while I had the hardware. If I'm remembering correctly, it started after picking up my niece and also after I had used a mini re-bounder for exercise. After that I started having pretty bad pain that lasted for around a couple of months. Maybe that was when the majority of the curving took place.

[LindaRacine]

Hi Megan...

When you talk about revision, are you referring only to the removal of the rods? (That's not typically considered revision.)

It's possible that there was one or more levels of your fusion where there was not enough bone to hold without the rods, or it's possible that there were one or more levels that were not fused at all, but I don't think you'll ever know for certain.

If you start finding yourself with a kyphotic (forward) lean, you should definitely consider having the implants put back in, as that would indicate that your spine is unstable.

Regards,
Linda

[Megan]

Thanks Linda. Yes, when I said "revision surgery" I was just referring to when the hardware was removed.
It's interesting you mentioned a kyphotic lean. Just a few days ago I began to notice that I am leaning a bit. Part of me thought it was just bad posture. Are there any ways I can tell if it is just a bad habit I've developed, or if it is because of my scoliosis?

Thanks again for the advice, it's been so helpful!

[LindaRacine]

Thanks Linda. Yes, when I said "revision surgery" I was just referring to when the hardware was removed.
It's interesting you mentioned a kyphotic lean. Just a few days ago I began to notice that I am leaning a bit. Part of me thought it was just bad posture. Are there any ways I can tell if it is just a bad habit I've developed, or if it is because of my scoliosis?

Thanks again for the advice, it's been so helpful!

Hi Megan...

I don't know if there's any way to know for certain. If you just started leaning, however, and you didn't lean before, I think you have to at least entertain the possibility that you're becoming kyphotic.

Regards,
LInda

[mgs]

[QUOTE=LindaRacine;110250]Hi Megan...

In any case, your spine is probably more unstable now than it was before your original surgery. During the surgery some pieces of bone were likely removed to help with correction of the curves. Because of that, your spine can actually curve more than it would if you never had surgery.


AFTER I posted (today) on my thread re: the possibility that my spine is re-curving after hardware removal (posted over in the 1st timers section). . .I found this.

Interesting.