Harrington rods

Posted by jcwithpain123 @jcwithpain123, Nov 23, 2023

I was 17 years old or you go into the Navy. I drove off a cliff broke my neck and back. Harrington rods are coming out 1977 was the time I got my operation Pennsylvania Hospital. I am now 63 going through pain that no one can determine what it is is it my old Harrington rods I ask. After having CAT scans x-rays, they can’t explain it. I’ve never had a broken rib, but that’s what it feels like it takes the breath out of me if anybody has an answer I appreciate it today’s Thanksgiving. Could it be a bacterial infection? Could it be from my postop?

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jcwithpain123 | @jcwithpain123 | Nov 23, 2023

Diving Accident I didn’t drive off a cliff I dove off

gently | @gently | Nov 24, 2023

jcwithpain 123,
what spine levels did your harrington's involve?
You might describe the area of the pain you experience with breathing. Pnemonia can cause such. The worst cause would be pneumothorax or pericarditis. These three would show on CT is the radiologist was looking at the aea. The least worrisome is muscular or costochrondritis. Have you been lifting heavy objects or pruning trees with a two-hand shears?
If you want a physical assessment right away, I'd suggest a chiropractic assessment. You could probably get in Monday. Possibly today, but Chiropractors love holidays and take them.
If you have broken a rib the CT may have missed it, but the break would be "closed" or it would have been obvious. In that case all you can do is wait for the healing, because that type of break isn't treated.
The orthopedic surgeon I see says that it is unusual to break a rib in a normal environment unless you have low bone density. You might want to check that.
Screws from body hardware can loosen and move slightly without appearing to have moved on imaging

"During routine assessment, 161 (27.6%) rib fracture sites in 83 (58.5%) cases were missed,"

"65.5% of missed rib fractures were accompanied by fractures on adjacent ribs, indicating that more attention should be paid to the adjacent areas of fractures to recognise subtle rib fractures."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009926022000435#:~:text=During%20routine%20assessment%2C%20161%20(27.6,lines%20(24%2C%2049%25).
Massage the area between the ribs and report back