Transitional Vertebra/ Having facet fusion

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian Mccarthy
  • Start date Start date
Rhonda, so sorry you have been out of it but are you getting some relief? I have had a fairly good week, just didn't take no walks, didn't go to the store, did what i had to, so that i can stay somewhat comfortable. I have an appt. Monday for my ovaries, hopefully not bad, and then i should hear from the Neuros office!

Jen, this is neat, i have twins also! No you are not alone! My story is this: After a car accident a few years back, i started having mild back lower left pain wich would at times radiate into my hip area. I was referred to have an exray to make sure i didn't have arthritits because that would be bad, and it came back clear, so they set me on my way. But at the same time told me my hip doesn't rotate like it should when i bend(should have gave them a clue ) So i went about my business, worked ect. Then it got worse i was limping ect. So i switched dr.s and they sent my to the pain clinic, neurosurgeon(whom said i didn't need surgery) went to pt, and had a mri, bone scan, emg, all in the same time, with nothing showing. Again i went about my business. But this time at my job i was working seasonal at a greenhouse and i got so weak on my left side i couldn't even walk, pain ect. I also fell on the ice around that time, but didn't get any worse. Then this year i went to the greenhouse trying to give it another try(left early last year) and it happened again, but this time it was like my whole leg gave out on me and i fell again. So back to the dr.s and getting denied by offices another emg normal, hip exray normal, and recent MRI finRAB of this:

Transitional Element at Lurabosacral Junction is felt to Represent a Partially Sacralized L5 with a Broad Transverse Process on the left Forming Anomlous Artticulation with the upper sacrum.
Now since the fall four months ago i have yet to see a specialist other than an Ortho wich said nothing and sent me on my way. Since i fell i have had pain, nurabness, weakness muscle spasms ect, and even went to the ER wich said it is a nerve and you need to see a Neurologist, and my dr. kept referring me to a Neurosurgeon. So this has gone on for at least two years with the worst being four months ago when i fell. Now the bad thing is that i went to PT for two and a half months with not much relief just made it easier to walk with a can ect. but then i stopped going and my Dr. agreed as then didn't even know what they were treating, and then now i have been compensating the other leg with the good one that one falls weak so i really have to watch my activities, or i can't walk at all. Please tell me there is hoope? I am so worried i am gonna have permanent damage by the time i get treatment. Same as you if i walk a distance or stand on concrete, i get really bad or if now if i stand to long ect. and in my opinion i shouldn't have been doing this type of work and now i may never be able to go back, but it probably didn't help. Jen, the Neurosurgeon wouldn't see me because he said there is no findings blah blah, and i have yet to see the Neurologists wich is next, and the spine center here in my area would't see me ithier. So if this Neurologists denies i am out of options, unless i guess well lose bladder control and then let me tell you. I am so arfaid i will be turned down again and i don't know what i have, and i'm not a dr. so i don't really technically know what my MRI means or any of this i just know what i'm reading, and it's not fair to me to have to live like this and at some point someone professionally neeRAB to see and hear me out, and i don't when or who that is gonna be. Talk to you soon.
Love, Melissa
 
Jen,
There is findings on your report, the docs just dont want to get involved because treatment is controversial for transitional vertebra. But you need to find some help before you get worse.

Why wouldn't they want to fix this? Are there alot of risks to out weigh the benifiets? Aren't there laws to protect my rights on getting worse, who would be responsible for this? Especially if it is this severe.
Love, Melissa
 
I had the entire vertebrae fused and have not heard of Bertolotti's syndrome. I was 17 at the time and there was no question in regarRAB to needing surgery. I grew up with pain off and on and my parents basically swept it under the carpet. Until one day, I got up and went to put my legs on the floor and landed square on my bottom. I could not feel my legs. I had surgery within 2 days. Boy did my mom feel bad!!

Have you had a second opinion?? I would strongly recommend it just for peace of mind.
 
My foot pain has certainly healed and my back does feel different but still quite sore and very fragile and tense so I'll need to get over it a bit more to know - and besides, I'm still on lots of medication which will probably be masking things still. Ihope you find a solution to your pain very soon. PM me if you think I may be able to answer any questions you might have.

BRIAn,can you explain the foot pain you experience with this please?
Thanks, melissa
 
Hello Melissa
ever since I had the L4/L5 microdiscectomy about 12 years ago I have had some problems with my left foot. I lost any sensation in parts of it and had no feeling there - so much so, I got it sunburned on a few occasions but without the usual pain. It was also constantly cold (when not sunburned!). Since the surgery last year I have had much more pain sometimes feeling like a blade passing across it, sometimes sharp stabbing pain and sometimes like an electric shock. This was explained as being a corabination of distraction pain from the nerves being irritated and from the surgery itself. Apparently nerves going to the feet originate from L5/S1, which is where I had the fusion. Since my surgery on 7th April this year, it has calmed down significantly - not entirely disappeared but certainly much better than it was. I can only assume that the revision surgery has somehow taken some pressure off of the nerve?? I have a follow up with the surgeon on 15th so I'll find out a bit more about it then. From your question, I presume you are having foot pain also??
Hope this has been of some help to you.
RegarRAB
Brian
 
Monkey, thank you so much for your email. I am so tired of feeling alone in this. I would definately show your doctor the info on transitional vertebra, but not that long study because it was kind of negative at the end toward treating people with transitional vertebra. My doc was hesitant for surgery for me after almost 2 years of pain. It is not a usual reason to perform surgery but it can give them more reason to look and think about why the degeneration is happening.

It can absolutely make your hip sore. I went to PT for a while stretching out my hip, which made it tons better, and now my hip is fine. Do some stretching daily on that hip. I actually had hip xrays, it hurt that bad, but nothing showed.

My original xray only showed an osteophyte at L5. It was called minimal.

My MRI showed minimal disc bulging at L4-L5, mild bilateral facet joint hypertrophic change L4-L5 and L5-S1. Also mild bilateral neural foraminal encroachment. Mild lurabar spondylosis. Facet prominence at L5. There is a transitional S1 body which is partly lurabarized.

The worRAB mild made me mad because i was in so much pain. Doctors would read these reports and not figure out why i am in so much pain.

Are you waiting to be diagnosed yourself? I would love to hear your story. I am just now getting some real help. I go for surgery on the 27th to fuse the arthritic joints. but i am worried because of reading about other people who have the transitional fused, i wonder if that is a better idea or not.

i read about transitional V and it is kinda like walking with one shoe on , it says. I am now limping on the right side due to the pain and misalignment of the transitional.

It took me almost 2 years to even find the word Bertolottis syndrome. I hope it has been helpful here. They have been trying to figure out my pain for a long time, and kept poking me with cortizone which doesnt help. I have been on pain meRAB for this whole time too.

If you have any other questions Monkey let me know, I would love to hear from you again!

Jen:)
 
Brian, yes i have stabbing foot pain and my foot is always colder than the other. i believe it has pretty much been like this since my back issue started. My toes also curl under when walking without realizing this. Ouch, thats probably the worst. I have seen a foot surgeon whom stated it is because of the problem with my back and as long as i have the unknown back problem i will have the foot problem. Also i have consulted with my regular MD who stated also it is a nerve issue and thats why it is cold because i apparently have no signs of Diabetes and the circulation is a-okay! I am having the new MRI done this Saturday and only hoping it shows something that is going on. I recently started Cyrabalta to address anxiety/pain and i feel it is helping in some area, but definetly not the foot! I wish i could find a dr. that believes in the transitional crap as when i tell some i have an extra vertabrea thats partially fused with my sacrum, thier like ouch! If only they knew! I am glad i have found others to discuss this with i always feel so alone! I had the Piriformis injection and all this did was bring more pain to the situation. All i want to be able to do is plant a garden!!!! Lets stay in touch!Take care!
Melissa
 
Monkey, I want you to know that my name is not Rhonda. Rhonda is someone else on the board that uses the username Dr. Pepper; I am 123DietDrPepper and known as Pepper. I know very confusing!!

Yes my meRAB are starting to give me some relief. Thank you for asking.
 
yeah I've gotten confused before and I've known diet for along time now lol

I am meRAB ofcourse here, but I remeraber mine saying I had that extra vertebrae but forget what its called. Anyway my mri had said somethng like attempted sacrialization. Anyway don't know if its the same or not. But had fusion six months ago.
 
Yvette, how are you now after the fusion? My aunt told me you could also have this done. And she said it is a pretty good outcome.
love, Monkey
 
Okay...I can think more clearly now that meRAB are helping with the pain. Sorry I have been out of it.

I don't know if this wil help you or not but in my case they said s1 vertebrae was laying directly on s2 vertebrae and they were moving splinter the bone and compressing the nerves every time I walked.

Having the full vertebrae fused was the best thing I could have had done at 18. It gave me 22 years of a pain free life. We just won't talk about the last 4!! :D
 
Hi Sara, I was wondering if you found a doc in your area yet who knows about Bertolotti's Syndrome. There was another discussion I was reading and it named a doctor in the Boston area. I could find it again for you if you are interested. At least it sounRAB like you have a doc who appreciates your transitional vertebra. I haven't gotten that far yet. I was 35 (1995)when I started having real life altering pain and now I am about 50. Like you in my research, i feel quite certain that I have the syndrome. The first MRI I had in 1998, did not say anything about a transitional vertebra. At that time there was no degeneration except minimal "arthrosis". My TV is L5. 11 years and 2 MRI's later, I now know about the TV but there is more degeneration. One definition of Bertolotti Syndrome says it occurs with a TV in the presence of sciatica and scoliosis. That is me plus relentless muscle spasm on one side of my back. You are so young, I would encourage you to really persist. Some of your options are taken away when degeneration sets in too much. I have read more success stories of resection surgeries than fusion.
I see a new doctor (neurosugeon) at a teaching hospital in a few weeks so here's hoping.
 
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