Luigi Mangione, 26, a suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appears to suffer from a rare back condition called spondylolisthesis, according to comments posted on the social networking site Reddit.
Although not confirmed, messages archived on Reddit under the username “Mister_Cactus” and other details of Mangione’s social media accounts, as well as a friend’s account, appear to confirm that he suffered from a back ailment that caused chronic pain.
“For what it’s worth, I’m 25 years old and have a fusion of the L5/S1 vertebrae [la última lumbar y la primera sacral]. It is clear to me that the day my spondylitis worsened to the point of feeling it every day, I had crossed the threshold of surgery, although it took me a year to realize it,” he commented in April of this year, according to saved messages.
Spondylolisthesis is a fracture or weakness in the vertebrae of the spine, sometimes caused by playing certain sports as a child, which can cause displacement or slippage of the vertebra, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
If the slip is classified as high grade, it may cause “pain and significant nerve injury and require surgery to relieve its symptoms and prevent further deterioration.”
Surgical treatment may include spinal treatment and “rod and screw stabilization.” The image Mangione posted on X included an x-ray that appears to show rods and screws inserted into the lower part of the spine.
In a Reddit post from July 2023, Mangione complained of pain that had worsened after a surfing accident and a slip, writing: “Yes, when I went surfing a year and a half ago, I experienced sciatica for the first time.” time. Basically, the extension movement destabilized my spondylitis. A few weeks later I slipped on a piece of paper and my right buttock and right leg were locked up for a week.”
RJ Martin, a friend and former roommate of Mangione, told CNN on Monday that shortly after Mangione moved to Hawaii, he was “in bed for a week” with back pain after a surfing lesson.
“It was really traumatic and difficult, you know, when you’re in your early 20s and you can’t do some basic things,” Martin said.
Mangione encouraged other Reddit users to get surgery. “To be honest, once the pain becomes low grade, but all the time, it might be time for surgery,” he wrote in April of this year: “I mean the situation sucks, for sure, but “The solution is not to take refuge in a bubble.”
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