Question
QUESTION: I would like to know if i should consider surgery and what type?MRI LUMBAR... PLEASE COMMENT YOUR THOUGHTS AND SUGGESIONS.MAY 2007 LUMBAR REPORT MRI... 1ST DEGREE FORWARD SLIPPING OF THE BODY OF L5 OVER THE SACRUM AND MILD DEGREE OF LEVOCONVEX SCOLIOSIS OF ENTIRE LUMBAR SPINE NOTED. DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE WITH BROAD MIDLINE DISC HERNIATION AT L3-L4 RESULTING IN MODERATELY PRONOUNCED ANTERIOR SPINAL CANAL NARROWING IS ALSO IDENTIFIED.
DISC DEGENERATION DIFFUSELY INVOLVES THE ENTIRE LUMBAR SPINE. A SUBLIGAMENTOUS FOCAL MIDLINE DISC BULGE AT L1 L2 LEVEL WITH MILD SEVERITY ANTERIOR SPINAL NARROWING IS IDENTIFIED AS WELL. THE CONUS, BONES, AND THE PREVERTEBRAL AND PARAVERTABRLE SOFT TISSUES ARE IN TACT. THE LORDOTIC CURVATURE IS PRESEVED.
IMPRESSION: DIFFUSE DISC DEGENERATION, FIRST DEGREE FORWARD SLIPPING OF L5 OVER SACRUM, DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE WITH BROAD MIDLINE DISC HERNIATION, ANTERIOR SPINAL CANAL NARROWING AT L3-L4.

YESTERDAY'S REPORT NEARLY 1 YEAR LATER...

LUMBAR VERTEBRAL BODY HEIGHT APPEARS GROSSLY PRESERVED. THERE IS MINIMAL LEVOSCOLIOSIS OF THE LUMBAR SPINE. THE CONUS IS IN NORMAL POSITION. NO ABNORMAL MARROW SPACE SIGNAL IS OBSERVED. MILD DICS BULGING IS EVIDENT AT L3-4 LEVEL.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH FACET HYPERTROPHY THERE IS BORDERLINE MINIMAL CENTRAL CANAL STENOSIS OR NUERAL FORAMINAL NARROWING.
MILD DISC BULGING ASSOCIATED WITH MILD LEFT FORAMINAL DISC PROTRUSION IS SEEN AT THE L5 S1 LEVEL. THERE IS RESULTANT LEFT SIDED NEURAL FORAMINAL IMPINGEMENT. THERE IS NO SIGN OF PARAVERTEBRAL SOFT TISSUE MASS.
IMPRESSION OF THIS RECENT STUDY: MILD DISC BULGING AT THE L3-4 AND L4-5 LEVELS.
BORDER LINE MILD CENTRAL CANAL STENOSIS AT THE L3-4 LEVEL. MILD DISC BULGING ASSOCIATED MILD LEFT SIDED FORAMINAL DISC PROTRUSION AT THE L5 S1 LEVEL.

THE NEXT REPORTS ARE OF MY CERVICAL COMPARISON FROM LAST YEAR TO CURRENT: PLEASE COMMENT ON YOUR THOUGHTS.

I LIVE IN A GREAT DEAL OF PAIN ON MOTIN DAILY AFRAID OF PAIN MEDS AND LOSING QUALITY OF LIFE MORE EACH DAY... I AM DOING LESS AND LESS ALL THE TIME AND GETTING MORE AND MORE FRUATRATED. I AM 48 YEARS OLD AND FEEL LIKE I AM 70...
MRI OF C SPINE 2008
PRIOR STUDY IN 2007 INDICATED AS MUSCLE SPASM WITH DISC BULGES AT MULTIPLE LEVELS WITH ANTERIOR SPINAL CANAL NARROWING.
CURRENT STUDY INDICATES A BROAD MIDLINE DISC HERNIATION AT C3 C4 DEMONSRATED ON THE MIDLINE T1 AND T2 SAGGITALIMAGES #5 AND ALSO DISC BULGE AT C6-C7 DEMONSTRATED ON THE SAME T2 SAGGITAL #5 IMAGE.
THE C4-C5 LEVEL OSTEOPHYTE BULGING WITH RIGHT RECESS STENOSIS IS PRESENT BEST APPRECIATED ON THE RIGHT PARASAGITTAL T2 IMAGE #4 AND THE T2 AXIAL IMAGE #8.
MILD DEGEREE OF DISC BULGE WITH LESS PRONOUNCED DEGREE OF RIGHT RECESS STENOSIS ALSO INVOLVES THE C5 -C6 LEVEL.
NO ADDITIONAL ABNORMALITES ARE IDENTIFIED. FORAMEN MAGNUM IS PATENT AND THE SPINAL CORD, THE BONES AND THE PREVERTEBAL PARAVERTEBLAE SOFT TISSUES DEMONSTRATE NO ABNORMALITY.
IMPRESSION: NECK MUSCLE SPASM WITH DIFUSE DISC DEGENERATION. BROAD MID LINE DISC HERNIATION AT C3-C4 AND OSTEOPHYTOSIS WITH RIGHT RECESS NARROWING AT C4-C5 AND C5 -C6. ALSO PRESENT IS DISC BULGE AT C6-C7 WITH ANTERIOR SPINAL CANAL NARROWING AT MOST DISC LEVELS.

MY MRI YESTERDAY OF CERVICAL STUDY STATES:
CERVICAL VERTEBRAL BODY HEIGHT SEEMS GROSSLY PRESERVED. ALIGNMENT IS ANATOMICAL. NO SIGNIFICANT MARROW SPACE ABNORMALITY IS IDENTIFIED. THE CERVICAL CORD DEMONSTRATES NORMAL INTRINSIC SIGNAL INTENSITY. 'SPONDYLOTIC RIDGING IS EVIDENT AT THE C-4-,5- AND 6-7 LEVELS.
THIS PRODUCES PARTIAL EFFACEMENT OF THE SUBARACHNOID SPACE ANTERIORLY. THIS IS MOST PRONOUNCED AT THE C5-6 LEVEL. THERE IS UNCINATE HYPERTROPHY WITH BILATERAL NEURAL FORAMINAL NARROWING AT THE C5-6 LEVEL. LEFT GREATER THAN THE RIGHT. NEURAL FORAMINA ARE OTHERWISE GROSSLY PATENT THROUGHOUT. THERE IS NO SIGN OF PARAVERTEBRAL SOFT TISSUE MASS.
IMPRESSION: SPONDYLOTIC RIDGING AT THE C4-5 C5-6 AND 6-7 LEVELS PRODUCING PARTIAL EFFACEMENT OF THE SUBARACHNOID SPACE ANTERIORLY. BILATERAL NEURAL FORAMINAL NARROWING AT THE C5-6 LEVEL LEFT GREATER THAN RIGHT.

PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND PATINTS TERMS WHAT ALL THIS MEANS. I FEEL LIKE I AM READING A FORIGN LANGUAGE...
I AM STILL WAITING ON REPORT FOR MY THORACIC RESULTS.... HERE IS LAST YEARS RESULTS SO YOU HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF MY DISC ISSUES...
FINDINGS: DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE...WITH BROAD DISC BULGES AT T-10-11 AND T11 -T12 COTACTING THE ANTERIOR MARGIN OF THE CORD WITH MINIMAL POSTERIOR DISPLACEMENT INDICATING IMPINGEMENT. THE FINDING IS BEST APPRECITAED AT ON THE MID LINE T2 SAGGITTAL IMAGE #4. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF FRANK DISC HERNIATIONS, FORAMINAL NARROWING, FRACTURES VERTEBRAL SLIPPING, OR ABNORMALITIES OF THE PREVERTEBRAL OR PARAVERTEBRALSOFT TISSUES.
THE NORMAL KYPHOTIC CURVATURE IS PRESERVED.
IMPRESSION: DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE AT T10-T11 AND DEGENERATIVE DISC BULGE MIDLINE IMPINGING ON THE CORD AT T11-T12. NO ADITIONAL ABNORMALITIES....

I FELL IN JUNE OF 2008 AND HAD A TRIMALLULAR FRACTURE TO MY RIGHT LEG AND ANKLE TIB FIB AND HEEL WITH DISLOCATION FROM HEEL TO TOE. A SURGICAL FIXATION OF STEEL PLATE TO OUTSIDE OF LEG AND 12 SCREWS AND 3 ADDITIONAL SCREWS TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAME LEG TO ANKLE AREA FIXATION.
AT THAT TIME I FOUND OUT THAT I AM OSTEOPOROSIS AND AT A 50% FRACTURE RATE...
SO I HAVE SOME IMMEDIATE CONCERN. THIS WAS REAONING FOR A CURRENT MRI TO RULE OUT TINY FRACTURE IN BACK FROM FALL IN JUNE... PLEASE REPLY...THANKS ELIZABETH


ANSWER: Sorry but this is a question for your doctor.

Rusty

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Based on everthing posted that was a pretty lame reply.
I have already asked my Doctor and I am asking additionally for a professionals suggestion or experience in this field and opinion or suggestions... I would also like to know what has changed re: last years mri comparison to current... It is ok to say your not qualified to answer so I can ask some one else. I found your reply to be insensative, uncaring and very shallow.
I am working with my Dr. very closely and before I sign off to having surgery I want to ask as many questions as possible and make the best decision possible for myself. It is my body and I have to live with the final decision not any one else. If your a real doc you must lack in the compassion and bed side manner department.

Answer
This is not the place to ask that question. I do not have all of your medical records or know your medical history. There is much more to answering your questions than you suggest. There is no legal or ethical way to tell you what has changed based on a report. The only way to do this is to compare the x-rays. I would be giving you an opinion based on an opinion. It is against the law in every state in America to do that.

If you have been working with your doctor then you have the answer to this question. The first email suggested that you did not talk with your doctor about this because you ask for it to be explained.

If you want a second opinion then see another doctor. Do not ask people to practice medicine on the internet. It is against the law for me to answer the question you ask since I do not have all of the information. I volunteer my time here and answer several questions a day. I have a life and sometimes it is best to give a short and honest answer. I gave the only ethical answer I could give. I am sorry that you think that I have time to spend 15 minutes explaining why you need to see a doctor to get these answers.   

Please do not contact me again.

Rusty