Today I had my x ray control, the result is next thursday but I've seen with the tecnitian the image on the screen...compared to the last one looks quite the same there's some bone material between the two vertebrae but nothing more than one month after surgery..
I'm a little deceived, I was expecting an image with all "white" between the two bones but is just a little "grey". The control check whith the Surgeon will be on friday....For those who had fusion, how should look fusion, the colour between the vertebrae is the same than the bones themselves or it remains darker?
thank you for your answer, as you know at this time I'm going to bed...so goodnight, I'll read your answers tomorrow!:wave:

Hopefully someone else who is fully fused will be able to tell you. Right now mine is cloudy white between the bones. I am in the beginning phases of fusing.

My other fusion from 1982 looks the same color as the remainder of the vertebrae.

HI Patrizia.. At 7 months post fusion, I was having some new sciatica pain and my therapist sent me back to my surgeon to check on things. He took several xrays. They looked mostly empty.. a little clouding but nothing more. This got me scared!! So, he then ordered a CT Scan which shows the bones much better. To everyone's surpise.. not only was I fusing, but I was solidly fused by then, and the hardware was in very good placement.

So dont get worried. It's not uncommon for the Xray to not show it too well. For some of us.. it shows a bit less. You may be one. I would just relax and exhale Pat, and just wait to speak with your doctor.

I am sure you are doing well. Your posts seem to indicate that you are probably healing just fine.

Hope this helps. Take care and please let us know how it goes for you. Tammy:wave: :wave:

I am waiting to have my hardware removed. I had an x-ray at 3 months and the doctor said I was fusing. It was white and cloudy looking. The cat-scan said I was not fused at L5/S1. I was already solid at L4/L5. Then had an x-ray Sept.2006 that said I was fused and it looked like the vertebrae (same color). I was also told that there is no sure test to take for fusion without going in and doing the true test which is tapping on it. If it doesn't move, it's fused. I guess I will know soon. I was told that if not fused they will just add addition bone to the graft. Recently I had a bone density test and that was normal.(Another test they can do to determine if the bone is solid) My surgery is considered a "Failed Surgery". This because of the pain and probably not the fusion of the graft. I think your surgeon can tell you. He has probably looked at enough x-rays to be pretty sure. I sure hope you are fused. Good Luck

Thank you so much Diet, Tammy and Chris, your words are so encouraging! I think that is normal to be frightened after three surgeries an all that pain...
By the way I should tell that I'm on anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxer and pain killers again, I'm better, I'm doing a lot of things but I really don't kow how much this is due to the surgery or to pills!
On friday I'll ask to my surgeon if I should do some extra exams to know the exact situation as you can undestand I'm looking forward to get to this appointment, I trust my surgeon he is one of the best here in Italy, he comes often to the States to be updated on newest techniques so I hope he will see something on my x rays that I don't...
Sorry Chris, why your hardware has to be removed? Something is wrong with it? I know that after fusion the hardware is not necessary anymore but they keep it in place because it shouldn't give any problem.
Thanks again for your nice answers, have a nice painfree:wave: day!

It was explained to me that the body can sometimes reject any foreign material and cause pain. They also explained that when they do the surgery the muscles are retracted and then just left to return to the same spot they were in before the surgery. I had my facet joints removed and this is where the muscles originally laid on. Now they are on the hardware. My surgeon said that I wasn't allergic to the hardware, but close. When he pushes on it, it hurts and simulates the same pain I have 24/7. Good luck on your doctor visit.

with my xray at 9 months out even the level that was fused looked a bit cloudy, nothing like the white the vertibrae around the site looked. perhaps some use more brightness and or contrast than others.

Why are you taking antinflammatories?? I was under the impression you are not supposed to take them because they interfere with the fusion process.

My surgeon prescribed me antinflammatories because after a gymnastic session in water I had very bad pain I tried to take just pain killers for some days but nothing seemed to help, so i called my surgeon and he told me to take one arcoxia 90 a day for two weeks may be I used my deeper muscles, those unused for two years, and this caused an inflammatory situation, I'm so scared I will never be out of medicines...
Hope that on the next visit he will reduce the amount of Lyrica and that he will be able to explain me the reason of all this pain...
You know what we say here in Italy? Il cane che si morde la coda ( the dog biting his tail) I take med I feel better, I overdo, I feel pain, I take med, I feel better, I overdo...etc...etc..seems the same story, like an hamster on his wheel, when will all this ends?
By the way diet where did you get this information? I'll ask to the doctor....
Thank you zero for the information, I'm more relaxed now!:wave:

Hi Pat: Sorry for jumping in here, but you may want to read the link below about anti-inflammatories and spinal fusions.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1113091

Good luck:wave:

My doctor actually told me to never take anti-inflammatories while I was fusing. I would definitely check with your surgeon to be safe.

I was also told by my surgeon not to take anti-inflammatories. That they can stop the fusion process.

Patrizia, what kind of fusion did you have? For that matter, for those of you discussing your fusion on this post, was it the traditional caging? I'm opting for the Dynesys Stablization System. Has anyone had this? I've just heard so much bad things about the traditional from those who have had it.

I believe the Dynesys Stablization System was what Clover had. You might address a new thread to her directly so that she definitely sees the question.

O-o! Diet is right - i was told NO to antiflammatory, Advil, Motrin, etc. because they all contain Aspiring (Acedomophen) which can prevent your graft to fuse...
Check this with your Doctor again!

Thank you so much for the interest, at the time I have no answer about the exact name of the hardware, I'll check on the document they give me after the surgery and I will tell you as soon as possible....today I had the check visit three months after operation, the doctor said it's ok, no problem, I just have to be patient and to accept that The area concerned will always be weak and, as there is some initial arthrosis, if I will do too much it will hurt.
Anyway, the doctor told me also that to see the results you have to wait 6 months, one year...I took no meds today and I feel good, I walked up and down the centre of Rome to buy presents and to take a look around for some new dresses for me.....last summer I was in such pain that I didn't buy anything...today I bought two nice shirts that fit with the brace..just in case...concerning the brace I can start to leave it, but better if I wear it in the car or long walks....sounds great isn't it? He insisted to tell me to use anti-inflammatories in case of big hurt.
Do you like the new nick name? I didn't know I couldn't use my real name so they allowed me to change it, I was worried that I lost the opportunity to get in contact with you again, then thy allowed me to get in again...thanks God, I could not live without all of you......hugs!:wave:

I can tell you right now - you are doing great! Suchn a short time after the surgery and you are shopping? You are one lucky girl! Go ahead and enjoy every moment of it, just be careful still.
You Doctor is right saying that recovery can take up to a year (for some is 2), so be patient and take day at the time.
Happy for you, keep a good job!!

I just had a worker's comp Dr. tell me the only real way to know if a patient is fused or fusing is to open them up , clean the soft tissue from the boney area and try to move the hardware. He said you really can't be sure from xray's MRI's or CT's. I believe him because why would he lie ? My MRI look's like I'm fusing but he said he wasn't so sure and wasn't about to say yes I was because he has seen it look this way before and wasn't fused. He did say as long as your stable it's ok. I don't like that thought , I personally want fusion.

I hope you are fused and able to get on with life.

Shawley :wave:

I just had a worker's comp Dr. tell me the only real way to know if a patient is fused or fusing is to open them up , clean the soft tissue from the boney area and try to move the hardware. He said you really can't be sure from xray's MRI's or CT's. I believe him because why would he lie ? My MRI look's like I'm fusing but he said he wasn't so sure and wasn't about to say yes I was because he has seen it look this way before and wasn't fused. He did say as long as your stable it's ok. I don't like that thought , I personally want fusion.

I hope you are fused and able to get on with life.

Shawley :wave:

Shawley, when i went for second oppinion to a Doctor in NYC, he told me that he is suprised that my local Doctor so sure that my 2 levels fused. I said that he saw on MRI. He said that no tests which can show 100% accuracy especially fusion. He also told me that it can be confirmed only when they open me up.
I believe in it, because i heard so many stories when people were told they are fused and than when they had next surgeries they discovered they were not fused at all, or just partial. Unfortunatelly nothing is 100%..

Sounds strange, isn't it? In 2007 we still cannot be sure about our fusions! Sometimes I feel like I can brake everything inside there! Don't you? Thank you for the encouragement Moldova, I feel good, I accept a little pain trying to get out of this med-slavery and even if I have to leave my ancient job I try to convince myself that thanks to this disease may be my life will change some way....and I hope it will be better.
Life decides for us, back diseases are connected to a certain rigidity of mind, I've been alvays a rigid person and may be this ruined my back so I have to change first in my mind then in my body. Goodnight Shawley and Moldova...:wave:

All the best to you, lucky girl! You leave in Italy, ha?
We leaved there for 5 month - in Rome at first and than at Pasascuro (sorry if i misspelled). Pasascuro is 15 min from Rome, right on a beach.
It was the best time for all of us!

Passoscuro is the right spelling, it means dark step! happy tou enjoyed my country so much! Here is very late..goodnight:wave:

Let me tell you something: enjoy is not the word! People, sea, history, food, sun, happy life style, Museums, crazy traffics in Rome with bikes in a middle of it - this is what makes Italy - Italy. People are so warm, so kind and helpful if you need them, all this music coming from the car and quiet time during siesta... miss Italy so much. But i can't complain: not many people have opportunity leave 5 month in this country and even speak Italian language! My second language is Romanian and Italian i started to understand and speak in a week or so. We also bought dictionary. Missed that "Grande Sconte, Una Milla Lira" on every corner (now probably no more Milla Lira, all in Euro, right?)

Right, unfortunately...sob sob.... then is easy for romanians to learn italian as our two languages are coming from the latin and they're very similar, I've been in so many countries but I'm happy to live here because our lifestyle is really enjoiable!:wave:

I did have the stabilzation surgery. Sorry I would misspell all the other words before it. It allows for more flexability mine was a little different then a standard fusion and they left the disc. I have 6 screws and 6 rods. I had bilateral pars defect which caused my S1 to be completely loose. The surgeon said he could have just grabbed in and pulled it out. The stabilazation was l4-S1 and all or most of all my pre surgery pain was taken care of. I have other issues with my back which causes issues but I am happy with the surgery. The disc was not in bad shape that is why he did not remove it. He just cleaned it up. I had herniated it in 1999.

I was allowed and given antiinflammatories in the hospital. My first x-rays I could see the screws plain as day just like looking at screws in the hardware store. My 6 week the screws were all white and he said that it is because it fuses to the bone.

Hope this helps I am now 9 weeks out of my surgery and still am wearing a brace but went back to work at 2 weeks as the dummy I am.