MRI result...

There is a right lateral eccentric disc osteophyte complex at L5-S1 level. This results in narrowing of right neural foramen and displacement of right L5 exiting nerve root.

Need help. Anyone?

An osteophyte is a bone spur - abnormal bone growth due to arthritis.

Intervertebral foramen: An opening between vertebrae through which nerves leave the spine and extend to other parts of the body. ...

It sounds like spinal stenosis of L5/S1 - arthritis with narrowing the vertbrae which is pressing on nerves and putting the nerve root in an abnormal position.

Just my 2 cents but then again I am not a Dr. I just like to Drink Dr. Pepper. LOL.

well I'll second that, I am no doctor, but love diet dr pepper. I think what the dr pepper said is right judging from all that I have learned about my own MRI. Osteophyte thing is a bone spur, and my foramen are narrowed to. Does it say you have a degenerative disc? I know that the bone spurs are real common with that, because I have that and have read so much about it.

What are your symptoms? My problem is at L5S1. yvette

Yes, my dh has DDD. He has had two microdiscectomies at L5-S1, but he is still in chronic pain. The pain starts at the lower right side of his back, travels down the outside of his leg and calf to his ankle. The top of his foot and his big toe get numb often. EMG shows severe chronic radiculopathy. He has motor deficit at the right ankle inverters and dorsifilexors (which are up and down and side to side movements of the foot). What do you think his chances are of recovering from this? We're at the point now where the doctor wants to insert a spinal stimulator, but we're reluctant to have that done.

Thanks.

I wish I knew the answer to the recovery question, as I am wondering myself. I think you have to find a good doctor who listens.

I would strongly suggest seeking the opinion of a few more good spine surgeons to see what they think about your DH's conditio and possible treatments.

A fusion may or may not help him, but that is normally the next option when two micro's fail and reherniations occur.

I would get the MRI's and get more opinions. Do not provide the new docs with the opinion of the current doc. This way.. the opinons are totally fresh.

Please let us know how he's doing. Tammy:wave:

Thanks for all of your resonses. :)

Tammy, We did see another spine surgeon who suggested a fusion, but this was before he had his second microdiscectomy. His current spine dr suggested the surgeon he is seeing now because he was willing to do a full decompression along with the second microdiscectomy. He wanted us to avoid having a fusion. The problem I see now (the problem that the last three MRI's confirmed...one before surgery, two after) is that the eccentric disc is what is actually causing him the pain. This problem was there before his last surgery, so why did his surgeon not address this issue while in surgery? We asked him that very question, but according to him, this eccentric disc shouldn't be causing him any pain. If you ask me, that's not what the MRI says. It sounds like the nerve is being compressed because the eccentric disc is narrowing the foramen and displacing the nerve. I'm no doctor, so who knows, but there must be some reason that he didn't want to touch that disc. I just wish these doctors would stop trying to cover there a**es and tell us what the heck is going on.

I suppose this is where we should seek another opinion and we most likely will, but now that he has had the two surgeries, we're very afraid that they will suggest a fusion. We just don't want to go that route. It's a huge risk that we're not willing to take.

My dh and I were just looking at his last few MRIs... We realized that the one before surgery says basically the same thing as the one he just had a couple weeks ago. The only difference is that the one before surgery says "disc herniation" and the most recent one says "osteophyte". I don't understand where the change came in.

Here's the one before surgery...

Facet degenerative changes and posterior and right paracentral disc bulge is demonstrated at this level. The disc extends into the right lateral recess with narrowing of the right neural formina. This does have mass-effect on the exiting L5 nerve as well as the adjacent S1 nerve.

Here's the one after surgery...

There is a right lateral eccentric disc osteophyte complex at L5-S1 level. This results in narrowing of right neural foramen and displacement of right L5 exiting nerve root.

We're not sure what to think. :confused: Can anyone make anything of this?

I say you need another opinion from the one that operated on you - a neurologist. My 2 cents is that they say the same thing and I would be uneasy with this doc but then again I am not a doctor.