In a past blog, we talked about arthroplasty and bone health. We touched upon how the effects of osteoporosis on arthroplasty is like trying to patch a threadbare favorite cashmere sweater or favorite pair of jeans. The fabric of the sweater is so threadbare that it cannot hold the new patch. The patches do not fail, but rather the sweater around the patch disintegrates. The same effect with patched jeans, where the patch is stronger than the threadbare fabric it is meant to hold together. This is analogous to how osteoporosis affects joint replacements and surgical procedures that repair or replace joints. Let’s extrapolate this idea a bit further. The spine and spinal column are commonly spoken of as a singular unit, but in reality is made up of 33 vertebrae, with 364 joints shared amongst the 33 vertebrae. In spinal fusion surgery, surgeons install fixating hardware into the vertebrae of your spine, immobilizing the joints between the fused vertebrae. For those patients who have osteoporosis, this means that each vertebral connection and hardware installation is anchored into a weak or compromised bone matrix.

We all need help holding back the waves: Dont let the Tides of Time wash away the strength from your bones.