Help! Hardware Failure?

Yesterday I developed a very sharp pain in my back right over my fusion site where the hardware is. I now have a swelling along with the pain and I can push on the hardware and cause more pain. The pain is not as bad today but it is still there. Back in July I was diagnosed with a non-fusion and giving a bone growth stimulator which I have worn religiously for eight hours a day for the past three months. I think that I have finally broken the screws or the rods or at the very least loosened the screws or rods. Please anyone who has gone through a hardware failure. Did you develop a swelling over the hardware after it broke? Could you feel the rods move with your hand through the skin? Or did you not even know if it broke or not? I would welcome any information that anyone can give me on this subject.

[Alastair]

Hi gsw,
I would get this checked out as soon as possible, we did have a UK member with Harrington rods, but I can't contact them at the moment
best,
Alastair

[letteski]

I teach Downhill skiing to individuals with disabilities and I have a lot of friends in the industry that are paraplegics and have broken they Harrington Rods. It takes a lot of force to damage this hardware. Most of my friends were well-fused and jumping off cornices in their mono-skis to cause the rods or pins to come loose.

So what do you think you did to cause this damage? Like Alastair said I would get things checked out ASAP.

[Alastair]

Wow Pauletteski !

I never realised that you were associated with people with Harrington rods. Most of the people I have been introduced to with Harrington rods have been fairly docile and well-behaved.

It just shows what the other half is doing across in the USA
best,
Alastair

[NCFUSED]

I have Harrington Rods in my L5-S1 fusion, I can feel them there, but they do not move....
I do get swelling over my incision site when I overdue it, but my Doc says it is muscular and not much more than aggrevating the muscles that were aggitated from surgery....

Contact your Doctor ASAP!!!!!

[Alastair]

John !!! Thanks for posting this. I have been trying to contact a UK person who has HRs you have helped this discussion greatly
Thank you
Best
Alastair

[letteski]

Alastar,

Infect my ex-bo is an incomplete paraplegic with broken Harrington rods. They stick out a bit where he had his fusion. Just a cosmetic issue for him and does not stop him from skiing, biking or climbing rock faces in Yosemite Valley. Others I know just live with their broken hardware.

Goes to show you we all have skeletons in our closest.

gsw,

Let us know what your doctor has to say. How is your bone density?

[NCFUSED]

I spoke with my Physical Therapist who is a multi-level fusion with Harrington Rods, she said she broke one she thinks, during child birth and never knew it until @ 3 years later opening the door for the UPS Driver, when she heard a pop, the tissue growth over/around it clued the Dr. in to how long it was broken.

I asked her about your situation, and she said it sounded like something more than broken rods (possible a malfunction with the pedicle screws) and you should be calling your Doctor Immediately!!

[sahuaro]

GSW: It's been a few days since you first posted and the feedback has generally been to seek medical attention. How are you? Please let us know what's happening.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I have not been able to get to this site due to the 403 error but now I am able to acces this site today so here is what has happened since my first post. I was able to get into my personal Doctor and he took X-rays of my lumbar spine and much to my surprise and delight he found all the wardware to be intact. The news got better as he told me that my fusion appears to be setting up based on the simple X-rays. He diagnosed my sharp pain as bad muscle spasms and told me that this is not an uncommon occurrence to have bad muscle spasms as the fusion starts to solidify. whaether he is right or not I guess time will tell but I do like his diagnoses and I hope he is right.