Regeneration of Nerves due to Damage from Bone Fusion

[Enid]

My nurosurgeon said that the numbness, pins and needles and aching in my left foot, ankle, back of knee and back of thigh resulted from the rupture of the L4-L5 disk into the nerve sheath and the compression of the fibers for a lengthy period of time.  The accident occured 2/25/00, and I underwent PT trying to avoid surgery which I underwent 8/7/00.  The condition causes me great difficulty walking any distance (more than .25 mile) and I now have a limp.  The surgery included screws, rods and a cage of bone from my hip, but no brace was ordered due to strong bones.  I can not stand on my left toes or walk on my toes.  My nuerosurgeon said that the site was "nasty" and it was a 4.5 hour surgery.  He recently told me that the nerve will probably regenerate at the rate of 1" per month, and there are approximately 36" between the site of the incision and my toes, i.e. I will be able to feel my toes in 3 years.  I am going to PT 3xwk.  I know this is not far into my recovery period, but I need to know if we should be checking out any other cause for the discomfort in my left leg and foot.  Two sets of x-rays have been taken, and everything is in order and holding well.  (This is a Worker's Comp claim, and they have paid every penny, but getting approval for things now is difficult.  Should I push to get a second opinion?  My doctor, David Cahill, is excellent, but I am at a loss now as to what to believe.  Three years is a long time.)  Do nerves really regenerate after nerve damage like this?  What is the probability?

Thank you very much!

Maxie Canant

[Delores Wilson]

Hi Barbara,  My experience with the regeneration of the facial nerves was that the little movement I am regaining is also getting the muscle tone back.  It did not atrophy.  But, I can only speak for the facial area.  I was also told that after 18 months if there was no improvement, I should consider reconstructive surgery. I said, no thanks to that and three years from my brain surgery my muscles at the corner of my mouth started working all of a sudden and now four years from surgery, I am still seeing very slight improvements.  So, I think you cannot put a time schedule on how quickly ones nerves will regenerate.  Everyone is different and it is definately a very slow and frustrating  process.  I wish you the best.  I hope this helps.

[Barbara]

Maxie,jeanie,Delores,Keith,Sheri,                                      Thank you for your responses. It is comforting to know that nerves regenerate and feeling and functioning may return though this can obviously take quite awhile. My question for those of you who have experienced various types of nerve damage is did(do) you have atrophy and did your muscle tone return with the functional and sensory improvements? Did you get most return on feeling and functioning with the regeneration? My neurosurgeon just told me that the longer I go with the foot drop then the weaker it will get when it does regenerate. He also said we would need to "worry" if I didn't recover my foot by 12 to 18 months. Any responses would be appreciated. Thanks again.

[Sheri]

I had a ruptured disc, L5, S1 when I was 21 years old.  I have always been a very healthy person who excercises regularly.  Unfortunately, no one knows why it happened.  After enduring 1 1/2 years of pain (which was primarily in my low back, left buttock, and left leg) and trying to go the conservative route with every possible solution/therapy, I went to Mayo Clinic for surgery, a disectomy.  I had the "part" of the rupture that was hitting my left siatica removed.  They also found a bone spur that my nerve was wound up on and that I had stenosis.  I do not have any pain, but I am experiencing some "tightness" or "achy" feeling.  Now I am experiencing feelings in my left leg that feels like occassional "electric shocks."  I do not know what is causing this.  
Well, surgery will be 2 years ago on the twenty-nineth of January.  But, no feeling in my left leg since surgery.  I was told that it would probably eventually come back and that it would take a long time.  Last week I spoke with my neurosurgeon's nurse at which time she informed me that if I don't have any feeling by now, more than likely I won't get it back.  However, if asked if I would do it (surgery) all over again, I would in a heartbeat.
I wish you the best of luck.  My heart goes out to anyone that has/has had, any type of back problems and related problems.
***@****

[Sheri]

I had a ruptured disc, L5, S1 when I was 21 years old.  I have always been a very healthy person who excercises regularly.  Unfortunately, no one knows why it happened.  After enduring 1 1/2 years of pain (which was primarily in my low back, left buttock, and left leg) and trying to go the conservative route with every possible solution/therapy, I went to Mayo Clinic for surgery, a disectomy.  I had the "part" of the rupture that was hitting my left siatica removed.  They also found a bone spur that my nerve was wound up on and that I had stenosis.  I do not have any pain, but I am experiencing some "tightness" or "achy" feeling.  Now I am experiencing feelings in my left leg that feels like occassional "electric shocks."  I do not know what is causing this.  
Well, surgery will be 2 years ago on the twenty-nineth of January.  But, no feeling in my left leg since surgery.  I was told that it would probably eventually come back and that it would take a long time.  Last week I spoke with my neurosurgeon's nurse at which time she informed me that if I don't have any feeling by now, more than likely I won't get it back.  However, if asked if I would do it (surgery) all over again, I would in a heartbeat.
I wish you the best of luck.  My heart goes out to anyone that has/has had, any type of back problems and related problems.
***@****

[keith]

yes the nerve endings will grow back.i have just gone thru back surgery fusion at 2 levels l4,l5,s1 and they went thru my stomach to put in the cages.cut all the muscles and nerves,this was in may of 2000 and my feeling in my stomach is just starting to come back.so yes the feeling will come back think of it as a hair growing back,thats what my doctor told me.i am going in for my second surgery in february to complete the 360.

[Delores Wilson]

Hi, Four years ago I had brainstem surgery for a cavernous angioma.  After the surgery I was left with some complications, one of them being a right side facial palsy.  I was told it would return to normal but it would be a very slow process.  I must say any recovery is very slow and hard to see, and you go through some long periods of seeing nothing at all happening.  After three years of little progress,  all of a sudden my muscle at the right corner of my mouth started moving to my surprise and delight.  I am still seeing  little changes for the good.  I will hang in there and wait rather than jump into anykind of reconstructive surgery. I was reassured by my neurosurgeon that the finding is now that regeneration of nerves can occur long past the usual 18 month timetable.

[rose]

Peripheral nerves can repair for quite a bit longer than 18 months. It depends on the type of damage.

rose

[JEANIE]

i squashed a nerve at mid thigh 20 years ago... the function came back to my foot in 2 years, but i couldn't feel it.  imagine my suprise when i burned my toes on some hot asphalt last year and youch!  i felt it!

i bet that things slow down a great deal at some point, for me about 3 years, but still go on at some snail pace...

[Barbara]

I also have a problem with my left foot. It is due to a ruptured disk fragment and I now have foot drop(and all of the odd sensations). I am glad you asked the questions  that concerned me. I had a second (different disk) surgery on September 1st and have been in physical therapy. I wear a brace. I have been told that my problem could resolve in 12 to 18 months. However, what puzzles me is the woman who wrote in-- I believe dated  a couple of years ago--same Cleveland Clinic responses. She wrote  back in that she had gotten some functioning back after 3 years and noticed it in a week.  If the nerve regeneration stops after 18 to 20 months, then how could this be? Maybe I am not understanding what the replies are saying. My neurosurgeon told me that  nerves (not specifically the leg) have regenerated at the longest within 3 to 5 years. It is a long time to wait. Yet, looking at the bright side, I'd rather be hopeful that long than give up at 18 months. I wish you the best on your recovery.

[Matilda]

I have found there are new lazer & other less invasive cervical disc & lumbar disc surgeries out there.  Apparently very few doctors are aware or just don't do them.  Unfortunately, I went the old way of operation with a donor bone.  It has been 8 months & I can hardly type for the pain.  I have contiuous neck swelling but my doctor says "oh u will be fine".  Yeah right, when?  Get a second opinion from a doctor that is not any anyway related to the workers comp.  They are for the company, not you.

***@****

I will pray for you.

[misterx]

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[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Maxie:

I am sorry to hear about your nerve problem.  Unfortunately, although peripheral nerves do regenerate about 1 inch per months, this only occurs for 1 and 1/2 years and then stops.  This would only be in the best circumstances.  Not seeing the films and doing the exam makes it difficult to tell you anything for certain, but the description sounds appropriate for the surgery inducing the changes started by the initial problem.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you how well things will turn out at this stage.  I hope it recovers well.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD