(See the video down below if you prefer to watch this as a video.)
- This is a short video showing a CT scan, or computerized tomography scan.
- A CT scan, or CAT scan, of the pelvis, particularly focusing on the sacrum and coccyx, in a patient who underwent a coccygectomy. And the first coccygeal bone (which is this bone right here) was essentially left behind.
- So it’s a “partial” coccygectomy, rather than a complete coccygectomy.
- I’m Dr. Patrick Foye. I’m the Director of the Coccyx Pain Center, online at www.TailboneDoctor.com.
- In this short video, we’re going to review this.
- The reason why we know that this is indeed the first coccygeal bone is from looking at the anatomy.
- In my book, I have a whole chapter on anatomy.
- I’m holding the camera with one hand, so I’m trying to show you with the other hand.
- In the chapter on anatomy, if you look here, you can see that the first coccygeal bone has these two areas.
- These two areas come up—they call them horns or cornua—that extend upward from the top of the coccyx.
- Those meet the sacral cornua, which project downward.
- From the side view, we can see that the cornua hook up like that.
- Coming back to our CT scan here, you can see those cornua right here, coming upwards from that remaining coccygeal bone.
- If I swing around, you can see them very nicely here again—this one and this one—projecting upwards.
- Those are signs that this is indeed the first coccygeal bone.
- The coccygeal cornua, or horns, are projecting upward to meet the sacral cornua, which are projecting downward.
- This is where the first coccygeal bone was left behind.
- I’ll show you that in one other spot here on an anatomic model of the coccyx.
- Again, you can see those horns or cornua heading upward, just as we see here.
- That is indeed the first coccygeal bone still remaining in this patient who underwent a coccygectomy.
- Unfortunately, there are many times where patients are told that they are having a complete coccygectomy, but sometimes the first coccygeal bone or other coccygeal bones may be accidentally or inadvertently left behind.
- Then, we need to decide whether they should have been removed.
- Most people do not need coccygectomy surgery for their tailbone pain.
- But for those who do, it needs to be a conscious decision made between the patient and the surgeon about whether to do a total versus a partial coccygectomy.
- If the decision is to do a total coccygectomy, then you want to make sure that the entire tailbone is removed and that a piece of it is not accidentally left behind.
- I just wanted to point that out since this is a good image for showing that.
- That’s all for now.
- I hope this has been helpful in distinguishing partial versus complete coccygectomy.
- For more information, you can find lots of details in my book, Tailbone Pain Relief Now, which you can get online at Amazon.
- I hope this info is helpful for you.
- If you need more information about tailbone pain, you can find me online at www.TailboneDoctor.com.
- Thank you.
Here is the video:
Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/x_qr3lR89lA
Here is the screen shot for this video:
Founder and Director at Tailbone Pain Center
Dr. Foye is an expert at treating tailbone pain (coccyx pain).
His personable, private-practice office is located on a modern, renowned, academic medical school campus, at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
For an appointment, call 973-972-2802.
https://tailbonedoctor.com/
His personable, private-practice office is located on a modern, renowned, academic medical school campus, at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
For an appointment, call 973-972-2802.
https://tailbonedoctor.com/
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