Diagnosed...

[PlasticMan]

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So in a new twist, was diagnosed with Spina Bifida by an ortho today 😱 He said not to worry about it, since I'm not in excruciating pain. I thought this was a birth defect. 😕 Is it possible for an injury to create this condition?

 

[Megalofyia]

It is a birth defect, but you obviously have a very mild form of it.

 

[PlasticMan]

It is a birth defect, but you obviously have a very mild form of it.

Well the thing is, I had some major injuries to my back bout 10 years ago, stress fractures and spondylothesis, so back then they took plenty of x-rays and bone scans of my lower back. With the specific intent of looking for problems with the lower back, how could they miss spina bifida back then, when a doc now so easily saw it show up on the x-ray?

On top of that, last summer I had yet another back injury from a wave that threw me when I was down the shore. Before this injury, I could crack my lower back by twisting, for example while sitting in a chair. After this injury, I cannot crack my back anymore. I'll twist, but nothing happens. I'm wondering if it's possible I'm damaged the spine so that it appears to be spina bifida!

 

[Krazykritter]

Well the thing is, I had some major injuries to my back bout 10 years ago, stress fractures and spondylothesis, so back then they took plenty of x-rays and bone scans of my lower back. With the specific intent of looking for problems with the lower back, how could they miss spina bifida back then, when a doc now so easily saw it show up on the x-ray?

On top of that, last summer I had yet another back injury from a wave that threw me when I was down the shore. Before this injury, I could crack my lower back by twisting, for example while sitting in a chair. After this injury, I cannot crack my back anymore. I'll twist, but nothing happens. I'm wondering if it's possible I'm damaged the spine so that it appears to be spina bifida!

Doubt it. Although there are numerous form of spina bifida, your case is more than likely spina bifida occulta. It is a failure of the vertebra to completely fuse. Occulta is the form that you will see in textbooks as presenting w/ a 'tuft' of hair on the back at the level of the lesion. If this problem is in your lower lumbar area, after the spinal cord has fanned out into the cauda equina, you are generally not very likely to have problems.

 

[Dr JPH]

I would trust your Ortho and follow his/her instructions.

🙂

 

[Jack Swift]

why didnt you ask these questions to the orthopedist? obviously he/she would know more than us pre-meds

 

[albaniandoc]

I had the same problem. I injured my back a while ago playing tennis (bent backwards too far and snapped) and was in a lot of pain. The MD just gave me some painkillers and anti inflammatories. Several months later I went to a chiro and he took X-Rays he said that besides the spondylothesis he said that I have Spinna Biffida as well. When I asked the doctor he looked at the X-ray and said that they don't even call that a spinna biffida. It's just extremely mild.

 

[PlasticMan]

why didnt you ask these questions to the orthopedist? obviously he/she would know more than us pre-meds

Didn't know what spina bifida was until I looked it up after my visit.