ANGELINMICHIGAN

AngelinMichigan...Hi my name is Lyn and I have been on here for several years with spine problems. I had an Anterior Cervical Fusion with a Titanium Plate and screws on C5/6 6/7 done in 2003. 15 months after surgery and still in pain (I won't go into details) my Neurosurgeon discovered that I had a "pseudoarthrosis" false joint or non fusion and because of a conflict told me he wouldn't help me. I tried every other convential treatment to get out of pain (chiropractors, pain management, nerve ablations, nerve blocks, massage, etc. etc. until 2010 I went to an orthosurgeon who took x-rays and said he could help me by doing a "revision surgery" on my non fused area C6/7 by going in posterior and using my own hip bone this time..... but treated me so poorly and I was hesistant, so finally again I went back to my neuro. that did my original operation. Since then I have talked to a few other surgeons who refuse to touch me because they won't go against him either. He is a top neurosurgeon in Michigan!!! Anyway he has finally agreed (after sending him a letter and a copy of the MRI, cat scan and flexion extension x-rays) to see me again. I am at his mercy!!!
Any way I see him in 3 weeks.
Besides having chronic neck and shoulder pain that has never gone away since my surgery, I am now having terrible arm pain and worse in my left than in my right but both of my hands keep on going numb and tingly. It seems like not in certain fingers but in my (whole) hands. I have put my results of my scans on here before but if I put them on here again, maybe Web Dozer and I know Jenny has already read them for me, could you see if you think there is anything there that can be causing numbness please. I am thanking you both in advance. Take care....Lyn

Jenny, I hope you are doing well!!

These are results from all 3 summed up into one.

Thank you so much

C1 Moderate Degerative Changes are seen at the Odontoid Process and the Arch of the C1 Junction

Mild Anterolisthesis of C3 on C4 by 3mm. There is also an Anterior Osteophyte Projecting from the Vertebral body of C4.

C4/5 Demonstrates a Small Right Paracentral Disc Protrusion with Mild Flattening of the Thecal sac without evidence of cord compression or neural foraminal stenosis unchanged.

ACDF changes with a fusion plate are seen at the level of C5-C7. The position of the plate and screws are normal without extrusion of the screws or elevation of the plate. The C5/6 vertebral bodies are fused. The C6/7 vertebral bodies are not fused and demonstrate with mild sclerosis and irregularities endplates consistent with pseudarthrosis. The central canal and neural foramina are patent.

There is a "visible cleft" at the C6/7 intervertebral disc space indicating Pseudoarthrosis with relative widening at the Pseudoarthrosis Gap at the C6/7 level on Flexion. (When the Orthopedic Surgeon was reading the Flexion Extension Views first on the Computer Screen before the Radiologist interpreted it he said and I quote "I do not see any obvious failure of instrumentation on these radiographs. On flexion/extension views, there does seem to be some motion at the C6-C7 pseudoarthrosis level with relative widening of the pseudarthrosis gap at the C6-C7 level on flexion. There may also be some lucency about the C7 screws within the C7 vertebral body". (I thought that meant that the screw was loose and my husband said that it doesn't mean that, it means a sort of opaqueness or see through, what do you think?

C7/T1 There is Minimal Anterolisthesis of C7 on T1

These might have some duplicate notes but I have put all 3 sets of scans together and want to know what you think. Yes I am going to my original neurosurgeon again in 3 weeks finally after being told I wasn't fused in 2005 and Jenny knows my story well, but would like some other opinions also and some new ones from Jenny since I have added some new symptoms. He says he wants to see me and I am still not very trusting of him but I will figure out if I trust him after I hear what he wants to do!!!

Take care everyone and have a great day.

Lyn AngelinMichigan