degenerative disc disease

January 6, 2003

,

Glad to hear from you. We welcome posts from all subscribers. Our

main focus is on issues related to the previous surgical treatment of

scoliosis, particularly fixed sagittal imbalance ( " flatback

syndrome " ), but we are interested in related topics as well. Your

experience of 3 previous fusions more than qualifies you to post to

your heart's content at this group, where most all of us are veterans

of similar treatment. Moreover, we sometimes have mostly bad news to

report -- so I expect that an unexpected leg-lengthening will be

cheery news to many of us!

I can't, unfortunately, offer you any explanation -- maybe someone

else will have a theory. (Has your physician given you any leads?

What does s/he think about the phenomenon? I assume you have

consulted someone you trust in the field regarding the deterioration

you've experienced?)

In any case, if I haven't said so previously, welcome to the group!

And by all means, please keep us posted. I would personally be

interested in your whole history, should you wish to share it here.

Eliana

> Just hoping its ok to post on flatbackers page. I have had 3

> surgeries and am now fused from T-5 to s-1. First surgery in 1969

> t-9 L-4 with no rods,only fusion. Second was L-4 to sacrum. Third

> was t-5 to t-10 with hardware and cage placed at T 9 and 10.Only a

> 50% fusion in this area(45 yrs old at this time) Living with pain

> and less endurance daily. I could tell my whole story,but will save

> that for a later date. I have one intriquing question that has

> happened to me. My left leg has been 3/4 " shorter than right my

> entire life. I just noticed recently as I was about to place my

lift

> in my left shoe, that my hips were even. I looked again and lifted

> my left heel up as I had done before wishing that I was even, and

to

> my surprise my left hip was higher. My legs are now even. I had not

> prayed for this nor had I asked anyone to pray for me. Does anybody

> have any logical reasoning for this occurence or is it just divine

> intervention.

> Thank you, in North Ga.

January 6, 2003

, much as I love to hear of divine interventions, there could

be another possibility. The unequal leg lengths could have been a

mis-diagnosis to begin with.

The reason I say this is that this happened to my father (yes, I'm

part of one big scoli family). As a young man he was told one leg

was longer than the other, by a chiropracter, I think. For years he

wore a lift on one shoe. Eventually he learned that his legs were

the same length, and that the lift was actually aggravating his

scoliosis. He was told that because of the way the scoliosis curve

affects the angle of the pelvis, the hips can appear uneven. And I

guess it is a bit difficult to accurately measure the lengths of legs.

My husband also has a slight curvature, and he too was told he had

one leg longer than the other. I haven't yet tried to measure his

legs, but doubt the diagnosis for obvious reasons.

It is, of course, possible to have mis-matched legs. This would

throw off the angle of your pelvis and could probably give you

scoliosis. I remember very clearly how the orthopedists carefully

measured my legs when I was a young girl, and the comment that they

were both the same length. If you've had your legs measured a number

of times, by well-qualified orthopedist(s), always with the same

results, you can certainly dismiss my suggestion.

If it does turn out you have had a bona fide miracle, then halleluya,

and may you have more.

And welcome to the group.

Sharon in southern New Hampshire :^)

Congenital scoliosis w/ spina bifida and other vertebral anomalies

1971 fusion T5 to L4 w/ single Harrington rod

Flatback, congenital thoracolumbar kyphosis, L5-S1 degeneration, etc.