Cervical Fusion or Arthroplasty ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter VandyMark
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VandyMark

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Hey, folks. I'm a 52 year old guy, medium to slender build, back after a lurabar fusion at L5/S1 last June. At the time I also had a mild disc bulge (per MRI) at C6/C7. I have a previous cervical fusion at C5/C6 from 1992. I now have more severe radicular arm pain and difficulty raising my arms over my head. Also, my interscapular musculature has just eroded to near nothing, and no P.T. will help. It's interfering with low back rehab maintenance because the isometric tightening of muscles to strengthen core cause cervical symptoms to worsen. I can walk with little pain which is a blessing . I had a weird car accident a couple of weeks ago ( a tree fell across the road and onto my car while I was stopped at an intersection) and my neck symptoms are aggravated.
I certainly don't won't another surgery, but my symptoms are not resolving. I also don't want to be planning a course of action after the pain has become so intense I can't think straight about what to do. Prior to the luraber fusion, I had been contemplating a surgical solution for the neck because I had exhausted P.T. and drug alternatives. I suspect that the arm weakness and pain is from the disc at C6/C7, and it's logical that the segment adjacent to the fusion is failing after 17 years. So the question becomes, what type of surgical solution is best if it comes to that ? A traditional fusion? If so, I will be fused from C5/C7? Any body have multiple fused cervical segments and a good or bad outcome ? Also, I'm wondering if a prosthetic disc is a possibility since in theory the preserved joint mobility lengthens the life of the adjacent segments ? Any thoughts or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for sharing my plight .
 
Hi VM,

Hello from Australia! I last year had a fusion from c2 - t2, the recovery itself was really hard work in terms of learning how to walk again, which is going really well now, but the multi level fusion has been great for my neck. I didnt have nerve pain before the operation but I did have significant muscle tension which I was not even alive to because I had been putting up with it for so long.

The reason I had the fusion was a disc bulge at c6 -c7, and spinal chord damage at c2 -c3 because the vertabrae were out of alignment - so it was a case of preventing a bad situation in the future for me - now my spine is straighter than straight, my body feels better although my neck is completely rigid, so at the end of the day the multi level fusion for me has resulted in some adjustments being made but a better way of living. I am sorry that I don't know what arthroplasty is so I can't weigh up what that would be like in balance to a fusion but hopefully someone can help you in relation to that.

I think with multilevel fusions its best to get some advice from an occupation therapist to teach you ways of doing activiities to minimise stress and wear and tear on the spine and the levels above and below the fusion, which may help minimise the prospect of future problems.

All the best - I hope this helps. At the end of the day I have had a lot of spinal surgery and although it has been hard I think they have been positive experiences,

GB
 
You may want to check out the Spinal Cord Disorders board. That is where all the cervical spine discussions are held. This board is more lower back.

K
 
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