Adult Scoliosis: Primary adult lumbar scoliosis, 5 years post-op still very active and athletic

Description

By the time she was 57, this patient had seen two surgeons, two chiropractors, and a physical therapist. None of them could help her, and she found it increasingly difficult to do activities she loved, such as hiking, kayaking, and teaching, without pain.

She was referred to Dr. Bridwell by local spine surgeon for definitive reconstructive procedure. She had gradually increasing, although not disabling, back pain. No leg pain and no spinal claudication symptoms. Dr. Bridwell diagnosed her with adult scoliosis. She had a lumbar of 55º.

Treatment

To correct the patient’s curve, Dr. Bridwell performed a posterior spinal fusion in her lumbar spine (waistline level between the rib cage and pelvis) and up to her thoracic spine (the area near the rib cage and shoulder blades). He used pedicle screws in the spine, and then he attached rods to the pedicle screws. The screws and rods held and stabilized the spine while the bones healed and fused.

To help the spine fuse properly, Dr. Bridwell used local bone graft (taken from the patient’s spine) and biologic proteins. He didn’t take bone graft from the iliac crest of the hip bone; many other surgeons do that, and it causes more pain for the patient after surgery and increases recovery time.

Result

After the surgery, the patient’s spine is so straight, you can hardly tell she has any lumbar scoliosis. Four months after the surgery, she returned to teaching, and a year later, she was up to walking three miles every day. Two years after surgery, she started kayaking again.