What is Flatback Syndrome and how are Harrington Rods involved?
When the proper curves in the spine that support an economical stance requiring minimum energy to stand or walk fail, the result is a condition called Flatback syndrome.
Some of the symptoms include having trouble maintaining a proper posture, low back pain and thigh pain. Since the person has trouble maintaining proper alignment, the symptoms might increase throughout the day due to fatigue. Patients might also have upper back and neck pain due to constantly trying to realign themselves. These symptoms can often develop to be very painful and leads some patients to having to take medications.
Flatback syndrome was originally used to describe Harrington rods recipients (1960s- early 1990s) due to the fact the rods sometimes flattened the normal sway of the spine. This was due to the rods extending down into the lower part of the spine. The rods were unable to follow the natural curve of the lower back, which caused the spine to unnaturally straighten out. This unnatural movement helped advance the degeneration of discs in the spine. New advancements in modern scoliosis technology have been credited it making flatback syndrome a much less common problem.
Degenerative Disc Disease can contribute to the person having trouble maintaining upright posture. This disease is from normal wear on the intervertebral discs.
Other conditions that may cause flatback syndrome include having collapsed vertebrae. Arthritis can also contribute to flatback syndrome and cause inflammations in the spine, which may cause pain and stiffness.
Most patients with flatback syndrome will complain of having trouble maintaining a standing upright posture. If the doctor determines you might have flatback syndrome, he or she will order a full-length X-ray of the spine. An MRI or CT scan might also be taken to help the doctor better understand the health of the spine and discs.
Patients diagnosed with Flatback syndrome will initially be treated with an individualized physical therapy program and anti-inflammatory medication. If all non-surgical options have become exhausted, it may be necessary to surgery.
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Dr. Gary Ghiselli at Colorado Spine Partners in Denver is referred back pain and neck pain patients; herniated disc patients; and artificial disc replacement patients from across Denver, Colorado and the nearby states of Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and New Mexico. As a regional spine center of excellence, Colorado Spine Partners is the only spine center in Colorado listed on SpineCenterNetwork.com and CentersforArtificialDisc.com. As a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, Dr. Gary Ghiselli can provide a second opinion for back surgery; second opinion for neck surgery; artificial disc surgery; stenosis surgery; and treatment for a herniated disc in the low back or neck.
Dr. Ghiselli is proficient in the use of several FDA-approved artificial discs in the neck. If you’ve been told you need a spinal fusion or an ACDF surgery (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion), Dr. Ghiselli can provide a second opinion for neck surgery that provides an artificial disc option to preserve the natural motion in the neck. Visit CentersforArtificialDisc.com for more detailed information on artificial disc replacement surgery. Dr. Ghiselli is also trained in minimally invasive spine surgery where he uses tubular retractors through a small one-inch incision which lessons disruption to muscles and ligaments, eliminates the need for outside blood, and enables most of his spine surgery patients to go home the same day for a quick recovery.
