One member in our family of three with TOS - the daughter- has been experiencing recurrence of pain. We obtained updated xray and MRI recently, and requested a copy on disk to take home.
Our mouths dropped open when we saw what looks to us to be a fully formed, regrown first rib...which was *removed* years ago.
*We are not radiologists, with no experience reading these test images....but it sure looks like the rib grew back.
We are flabbergasted.
**Update--We got a copy of the xray that was done immediately after rib resection and compared it to the new xray, and sure enough...the whole rib is now present where it was once just a stump. Not cool.
I'll post the pics after our second opinion consult.
We are told it takes forever to get into the specialist we are waiting to hear back from for a second opinion on the situation. When we know more, we will let you all know about the next step in this TOS journey.
Some interesting information I've run across online about rib regrowth...
http://www.drbrantigan.com/physician/multidetector.htm
"... the first rib has regrown..." (shown in CT scan pictures).
From this article- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849872/
"...patients with recurrent TOS symptoms for removal of rib remnants and regenerated fibrocartilage..."
"The primary technical factor involved in recurrence seems to be incomplete extirpation of the rib during the first procedure. If a rib remnant is left (as most surgeons outside of our group do), osteocytes, chondrocytes, and fibrocytes grow from the end of the bone and produce fibrocartilage and regenerated bone that compress the nerves." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1849872/
