| Re: mri ?
Hello, I see you have been on the board awhile, but this is your first post. I did that too early in when I first began having back/spine issues.
My first surgery was a fusion at L4-5, which eventually led to now being fused from L3 to S1. One of the main consequences of fusion is that it immobilizes a segment of the spine, which puts additional stress on the segment above which is required to carry the brunt of the movement. It causes additional wear and tear of adjoining segments.
The MRI indicates a Grade 1 spondylolisthesis at L4-5. This is where one vertebra slides over the top of the adjacent vertebra. It can lead to instability at this segment, and often causes the adjacent facet joints to enlarge as they attempt to stabilize the segment. This in turn sometimes ends up in either foraminal or central canal narrowing (stenosis), which can cause nerve pain, if nerves become compressed. Grade 1 is the least amount of slippage, on a scale of 1-4.
There is facet arthropathy throughout lumbar spine (“arthritis”) but it is not blocking the foraminal openings or central canal...(patent means open, or OK).
You will need to see your spine surgeon to figure out the best way to proceed from here. At this point, things appear to be still manageable with conservative methods of treatment, or so it seems to me!
Good luck!
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