Clavel's recommendation for HO with hybrid fusuon/ADR costructs

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3 weeks Ibuprofen on release....they pump you full of anti-inflammatory during your 5-day hospital stay. A "cousin" of ibuprofen. Quit the Ibuprofen after 3 weeks and switch to acetaminophen for pain killer. NSAIDS are known to inhibit fusion. He is not concerned for nonunion due to it being a 360 fusion with large cage in anterior approach. Plus, says the bone growth stimulator he uses( long name) is extremely good. And, he does use bone wax to mitigate HO. THOUGHTS?

[jss]

All I know is that he used Ethicon (bone wax) on my two M6-C's four years ago and my most recent CT scan (today) shows no signs of autofusion or bone spurs.

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All I know is that he used Ethicon (bone wax) on my two M6-C's four years ago and my most recent CT scan (today) shows no signs of autofusion or bone spurs.

Did you have any bony osteophytes removed during your ADR cervical procedure? That's very encouraging Jeff. All this HO talk in the cervical with being a hybrid leaves me wondering which way to turn. His dosage recommendation over the 3 weeks was 600mg ibuprofen, 3 times a day. That to me seems excessive doesn't it, with the risk of stomach bleeding and all? I thought about dropping that to 2 times a day at 600mg for 2 weeks instead of 3, since they already injected me with Ibuprofen's cousin for 4 days post op. That's kind of playing doctor, but i could tell when he gave me his recommendation, he was basically shooting from the hip and threw those numbers out there to give me peace of mind more than anything. There really should be a set dosage rate with those who have to deal with both fusions and ADRs combined.

Nice to know that despite your lack of NSAID use post-op, your neck looks to be in the clear. Magical bone wax?? :D

[jss]

Yes, he removed a very large one from the uncinate process on C4 and left another very large one in place on the anterior of C6.

Yes, a double blind study on ibuprofen dosage in cervical ADR patients would be 'convenient'.

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Did Dr. Clavel tell you why he left the other one in place? Too dangerous to remove??

[jss]

I didn't even know it was there until a check up 18 months later with a doctor in Dallas; Soren Singel. Dr Singel showed me that the spur on the front of the vertebral body had resolved on its own. Though that wasn't the first time he'd seen something like that, he said that it was very unusual.

I don't know why Clavel didn't remove it. I'd speculate that being on the front of the vertebral body, it probably wasn't hurting anything.