Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, apparently detailed on social media his issues with lower back pain and spondylolisthesis, a rare back condition caused by the vertebrae in the spine slipping out of place.
Mangione appeared to document his lower back pain on social media, including some posts that were critical of medical professionals.
Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- Sponylosethsis is the result of spondylolysis, a weakness or stress fracture in one of the spine’s vertebrae that can cause the bone to weaken to a point that causes it to shift or slip out of place, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
- The main symptoms of spondylolisthesis include lower back pain that often worsens when standing or walking, thigh pain, tight hamstrings and numbness spreading from the lower back down one leg.
- The condition is more likely to occur in younger people who participate in sports that require the lumbar spine to hyperextend, like gymnastics, football and weightlifting, though some medical officials believe some people are born with vertebrae that are thinner than normal, putting them at a higher risk of fractures, the AAOS said.
- Spondylolisthesis can be considered a low-grade or high-grade condition depending on how much the bone slips out of place, and those with a high-grade slip are more likely to experience significant pain, nerve injury and even require surgery to relieve their symptoms.
- Severe cases often require spinal fusion surgery, or the process of realigning the out-of-place vertebrae and then fusing them with the surrounding bone.
Surprising Fact
Between 4% and 6% of the U.S. population is estimated to have spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, according to the AAOS.
What Has Luigi Mangione Said About His Back Pains?
A since-deleted Reddit account allegedly associated with Mangione wrote multiple comments in a subreddit for people diagnosed with spondylolisthesis, Forbes reported. The user indicated the condition “went bad on me” and was “completely devastating as a young athletic person” because they learned the condition would force them into “a desk job for the rest of my life.”
On Goodreads, a book review website, an account linked to Mangione discussed reading and wanting to read books about living with chronic back pain, according to CNN. Some handwritten notes shared by the account also stated the user suffered from spondylolisthesis. Mangione reportedly wrote friends that he had received spinal fusion surgery in July 2023. While living in Hawaii, R.J. Martin, founder of the co-living space Surfbreak, told The New York Times that Mangione talked about his lower vertebrae being “almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve.”
Key Background
Mangione was charged Monday with second-degree, multiple weapons possession-related charges and forgery in Thompson’s death. Thompson, 50, was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s health insurance division.
He was shot on Dec. 4 just outside the New York Hilton Midtown, while the suspect fled the scene on foot. Several photos of the suspected shooter were released over the following days before Mangione was recognised in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Local police found multiple “fraudulent IDs,” a passport, a firearm and suppressor similar to what was used in the shooting and a document law enforcement said “speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” Mangione—who was denied bail—appeared for an extradition hearing on Tuesday, during which his attorney contested extradition to New York.
