Spinal Fusion "Before" Pictures

 Here are the "before" pictures of Annie's back and spine.  We're hoping to have some great "after" pictures soon that show some dramatic improvement in her curve as well as her rib hump.  Annie has three curves in her spine, the biggest of which measures at 89 degrees (the smaller ones are about 20 degrees and 40 degrees).  Generally they can correct a curve by around 50%, so if we can get the main curve to 40 degrees, we'll be pretty happy.  Annie's rib hump is caused by the twisting of her spine, which unfortunately, is very difficult to correct.  But we're hoping for at least a slight decrease in the rib hump.

Here are two of Annie's x-rays from the past year--you can see how in just 7 months her curve worsened dramatically.  You can also see the arc of her rib hump (on the left of the pictures) has protruded much more over this time too.

Also, you can see the distance between her left hip and left arm pit (on the right in the pictures) has dramatically decreased as that side of her body has become more squished from her spine.

Even the shape of her heart has changed as it has started getting squished. Her whole chest is compressed from her scoliosis. This spinal fusion surgery to help straighten out her spine will have dramatic health benefits for her heart and lungs.  She is also expected to be 4-6 inches taller after her surgery, and by looking at these x-rays, you can see why!

January 2013 x-ray measuring 68 degrees                                         August 2013 x-ray measuring 89 degrees

Below are some "before" pictures we took this morning.  Since most people only ever see Annie in her wheelchair which holds her up pretty straight and hides her rib hump, I thought I'd share some of these pictures to show what her back actually looks like.

In the top left, and bottom right, you can see how prominent Annie's rib hump has become.  For these pictures, Justin was holding Annie up as straight as possible.  Annie is in the same position in the top left picture as she is in the bottom right, although the top left looks like she's just hunched over, but she really isn't--that's just her rib cage jutting out to the back.

In the bottom right, notice that Justin's hand is just below Annie's right shoulder--the hump below that is her rib cage protruding out because of the curving and twisting of her spine.

In the other two pictures, you can clearly see how her left lung is being squished by her curve.

It's easy to understand the importance of having a custom-made wheelchair seat back for Annie after seeing the actual shape of her back.

In the top left picture below, you can see how the left side of her seat back is molded out towards the back and side to accommodate her large rib hump.

In the picture on the top right, you can see the side support on the right is curved to match the curvature of her spine.  She bears a lot of weight on that side support--the direction that she tips--and often gets pressure sores under that arm pit.

The bottom picture was taken standing behind the wheelchair looking over the headrest and down the seat back toward the bottom cushion.  This is another picture that helps show how important this molded seat back has been for Annie to accommodate her larger rib hump.

These pictures below show what is usually hidden by her backpack on her chair... Again, you can see how the molded seat has been accommodating her severe curve and rip hump.

Following Annie's spinal fusion, we will definitely need a new seat back for her since her back will no longer be the right shape to fit into this molded seat back.  However, since we don't yet know exactly what kind of correction the surgeons will be able to achieve, we don't know exactly what type of seat back Annie will need after surgery.

We'll meet with our medical supplier the day of surgery to put in a temporary seat back, and he'll return to consult with us at the hospital a day or two later when Annie gets up in her chair for the first time.  He'll make adjustments so that she can use the temporary seat back until a new permanent one can be made for her.  We'll meet with our physical therapist and medical supplier to determine exactly what her needs will be after seeing the result of the surgery.