It's X-Ray Xrednesday!

"With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username" (with-a-g)
08/20/2014 at 12:16 • Filed to: Xrays

Just a simple anterior L5-S1 fusion. Nothing serious.

DISCUSSION (21)

CalzoneGolem > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:21

Damn, did they come in through the front? I'm confused as to how that works.

macanamera > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:25

Is this you?

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:35

Which system is that? The anterior approach seems pretty aggressive, but the preservation of the angle between Sacrum and L5 is pretty good. Was any of the vertebral disc intact? Also, how did they graft the fusion? Autograft, or is there a preferred spinal allograft?

That A/P shot is pretty awesome, BTW.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > CalzoneGolem
08/20/2014 at 12:46

Indeed, through the front. My wife and I have matching C-section scars.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > macanamera
08/20/2014 at 12:47

Yup, taken last week, 6 weeks after the operation.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap!
08/20/2014 at 12:51

There wasn't anything salvageable in the disc, apparently. There is a hard plastic ring-shaped spacer full of allograft material in there now. There are two little metal markers visible to ensure proper spacer alignment.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > CalzoneGolem
08/20/2014 at 12:52

Only click if you really want to see how the sausage is made (J/K, it's an animation, much more viewer friendly).

Just subsititue those riser cones for a bracket and screws, and you get the idea.

CalzoneGolem > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:53

That's quite a lot of tissue they had to go through I bet you were hurting for awhile after that.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:54

Very cool. Allograft really is nearly just as good as autograft. As long as it mixes with your own blood to create an osteogenic response, the body doesn't know the difference. That's a pretty cool procedure, and should alleviate a ton of nerve pain.

MonkeePuzzle > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 12:59

hey! me too :D

http://i.imgur.com/FoL5u4x.jpg

because of

http://i.imgur.com/RTwIsbl.jpg

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > CalzoneGolem
08/20/2014 at 13:00

My surgeon claims its easier for this particular fusion. Once they are through the skin and muscle, they just shove the whole peritoneal sac off to the side, intact. They need to have a vascular surgeon present and co-operating the whole time because of the exposure of, and risk to, the abdominal aorta.

http://www.paradoja7.com/wp-content/upl…

CalzoneGolem > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap!
08/20/2014 at 13:01

Doesn't work on my phone.

CalzoneGolem > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 13:02

Yeah that actually doesn't sound so bad now that I think about it.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > MonkeePuzzle
08/20/2014 at 13:03

I'm telling you, this has the makins of a theme day.

MonkeePuzzle > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 13:05

we're all broken people :D

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > MonkeePuzzle
08/20/2014 at 14:43

Can you feel the pedical screws/rods through your back, or are the buried by the musculature?

MonkeePuzzle > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap!
08/20/2014 at 14:45

can't feel them, just some meaty scars

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
08/20/2014 at 14:46

I should clarify: it's not cool that it had to happen, but it is cool that the technology is there to fix it and do it in a much more effective and safe manner.

Spinal procedures are just now really in full swing of the second generation. It's the most nascent of all areas of medicine.

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > MonkeePuzzle
08/20/2014 at 14:48

That's wild. Two little rods on top of 4 gnarly screws does all the work of the fusion.

MonkeePuzzle > Group B-raaaaaaaaaap!
08/20/2014 at 14:50

well, they hold it all together whilst the bone in between grows/fuses, then they are just chilling out looking cool in x-rays because their metal work is all done

Group B-raaaaaaaaaap! > MonkeePuzzle
08/20/2014 at 14:53

Good point!