Complications with pedicule screws in thoracic spine

Hello @danna2boys and welcome to Connect. Am I understanding you correctly that you are having your 13th and 14th surgeries specifically because the screws keep coming loose?

I'd like to invite @ken82, @zorrospouse, @cgmc, and @mareanne, and @brendakaye who have all talked about some of the things you mentioned (rods, screws, fusion) and may have some experiences to share with you, even if they are not completely identical.

@danna2boys, how was the recovery with the bone cement placement? Did they mention anything about the recovery and what it may feel like if it were not to heal right?

I really can't relate to such a terrible set of spinal surgeries.. where were all these surgeries accomplished..? ..my fusion done in OKC in 1995 has been trouble free ever since..Dr. James Odor and team did mine..the problem they fixed was from an accident.. pulling a L5 vertebrae back into the stack... Good luck with your situation. Ken

My first 2 surgeries were done in Hattiesburg, MS, 10 were done in Huntsville, AL, the last 2 at UAB in Birmingham, AL.

Yes I’ve had 14 surgeries. I’m facing another one also. I now have a rod that is broken and titanium was not supposed to break. It was placed last December. I haven’t talked to a surgeon yet. I really wasn’t given information re: bone cement specifically.

The only time I ever heard about screws coming loose was in the case of a pseudoarthrosis, or fusion failure. I suppose it could be for a number of reasons, but the one I am aware of, was due to the bones not being strong enough to support the hardware, ie osteoporosis. The hardware can break and the joints will not fuse. In my case, the fusion formed and healed, but I was a very thin person, and the hardware was very painful. After the fusion healed, I had the hardware removed. This is very rarely recommended, as it necessitates another major surgery, with its own follow up issues.

See if you can get to Mayo Jacksonville, FL. ... At least for a evaluation..As many times that I've been to AL I never thought of it to be known for great health care..you need a great surgeon and a great team to fix all that ...

I talked to Mayo yesterday and was told they were not able to give me an appointment. Said they were not taking cases now due to being too busy. They gave me names of surgeons that left Mayo. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Unfortunately, I can comment on the downside of bone cement, as I just had my first surgery dedicated to removing it. Yes, it can come out and cause some serious problems.

Like you, I had titanium in my body that was rejected. (And put me in the double-digit surgery column, too.)

But the most problematic: the bone cement used to replace the titanium plate and cover a surgical hole in my skull.

Only in hindsight, it was determined that as my body healed, it pushed the cement out and into the area between my skull and scalp around my right ear.

I endured pain, swelling, decreased hearing and balance and unrelenting tinnitus. I also had that “heavy” feeling you spoke about.

Then a small but painless cut appeared. It wouldn’t heal, so my doc ordered imaging. Within a week, I had surgery to remove the infection and the paste. It will soon be my 7th round of antibiotics (ranging from topical to IV).

I still have unanswered questions, and will probably need more surgery.

The bright side is that the right imaging can determine if the paste has migrated.

I wish you the best and hope that you find a solution soon.

I have two rods and 14 SCREWS holding my spine together from a spine accident where I broke my c2 and t2 I had a xray where it shows two screws have come loose. I am afraid that they will all come loose.
Any suggestions?