Should I have an L4-L5 Fusion

[Rick]

About 6 to 7 years ago I injured my lower back by leaning forward and lifting a large weight improperly. Since that time it has been prone to re-injury, and I seem to have a relapse about every 6 to 12 months but occasionally shorter. The pain is primarily limited to the lower back, although sometimes I will have very mild numbness or very mild pain in my legs, but not always and it is never severe or really much of an issue. The lower back muscles lock up during these episodes and I cannot stand erect, sometimes for as long as several weeks. The longest period I have gone without re-injury is about 18 months. Recovery/rehab is varied and takes between 2 weeks to 6 months. After recovery I can do pretty much anything I want with reasonable care. During these times I lift weights and do Judo, but I am careful to protect my back, for example I do not do dead lifts or squats or do very much stand up work in Judo where I might be thrown in an uncontrolled manner. The re-occurrences seem almost random, for example several have occurred when I simply leaned over to pet my dog or pick up a sock.

MRI indicates that the L4-L5 disk is degenerative(It is black and shows a slightly less inter vertebral space). There is also a slight bulge posteriorly at this level. All other levels look completely normal. X ray during back extension (leaning over backwards) shows reduced space between the vertebrae posteriorly as opposed to anteriorly. Forward and side flexion

[Tammy]

Dear Rick,

I had the L-4 L-5  surgery, two of them  in 1997.... HAVE the surgery....

Its 2000 now, and Of course ill never be 100% again, but.
The pain is a lot less...

I had a titanum disk put in, then had to go back in  for rods and pins.  I was 36.  I am 41 now, I am glad I had the surgery.

The pain was so unbearable.  I have NO pain, but I do feel less
motion in my back  and stiffness. but when I am moving about, it gets better  thru the day...

as far as going back to your old life, sure you can, its all in your mind and attitude Rick. My fusion is solid, I am fine,
I can walk, run, do whatever I want to.  :)

Tammy..........

Please write me , would like to know how you are...

***@****

good luck

[Darla]

since 92 i have had 5 fusions to the l4l5s1 areas. none of the fusions have taken and i had a nice bonus fom the fusions, a total of eight tears in the spinal cord.  one of these lasted 13 months causing me to black out any time  i bent my head toward my chest and the notorious dura tear headaches were always present.i have also been dx with DDD and had decided i would never have back surgery until i could not possibly get around.  well i came to just that point 8 years ago and have not been much better since the five fusions and three spinalcord repairs.  i am in constant pain, am permently disabled,have a 5 lb. lift limit.  not to mention i have to fight the doc. for pain meds cause he

'don't want me to get hooked'!!!!

[amrit lal sharma]

mr imaging of the dorsal spine was performed and high resolution
t1 and t2 weighted serial sections were obtained in the sagittal
and axial plane using phased array surface coil on a 0.5 tesla scanner.t2 weighted sagittal sequence of lumbar spine was also obtained
the study reveals mild degenerative changes evidence by small bony emeburnations at anterior and posterior vertebral margins.otherwise vertebral bodies are normal in size,shape,alignment and signal intensity.
intervertebral discs are normal in height.
mild ventral ridging is seen in thoracic region due to posterior
osteophyte and bulging discs.

no significant neural compression is seen.

the thecal sac is normal and csfdemonstrate normal signal intensity.

spinal cord appears normal.
no intra spinal mass of pre/para vertebral collectionseen
on screeing lumbar region degenerative changes are seen in l5-s1 intervertebral disc as evidence by reduction of bright signal intensity on t2 weighted sequence.small posterior annular tear is also seen.

[amrit lal sharma]

mr imaging of the dorsal spine was performed and high resolution
t1 and t2 weighted serial sections were obtained in the sagittal
and axial plane using phased array surface coil on a 0.5 tesla scanner.t2 weighted sagittal sequence of lumbar spine was also obtained
the study reveals mild degenerative changes evidence by small bony emeburnations at anterior and posterior vertebral margins.otherwise vertebral bodies are normal in size,shape,alignment and signal intensity.
intervertebral discs are normal in height.
mild ventral ridging is seen in thoracic region due to posterior
osteophyte and bulging discs.

no significant neural compression is seen.

the thecal sac is normal and csfdemonstrate normal signal intensity.

spinal cord appears normal.
no intra spinal mass of pre/para vertebral collectionseen
on screeing lumbar region degenerative changes are seen in l5-s1 intervertebral disc as evidence by reduction of bright signal intensity on t2 weighted sequence.small posterior annular tear is also seen.

[Tom Phipps Aug. 27, 2000]

Dear Rick,                                                      Sorry to hear abour your back.It is one of the hardest thing to fix,from what I hear. I myself have had gone under the knife and to tell you the truth it DID NOT work for me either i have been in pain now for three years. my family doctor as got me on so many pills that it is a joke. My family I bleive as got the worst of it. My wife hates to see me in so much pain, and there is nothing she can really do to help me,except to be there by my side and try to help in any way she can,but she doesn"t really understand just how much pain i am in. i love my wife and family but it is a shame they too have to share the pain in a different way. As far as having the surgery that will be your call as you may well know. The best of luck to you Rick and please be understaning to your wife and family they to have to suffer, just in different way.

[patricia]

Gray