Low back pain MRI findings

Tagged: lumbar disc herniation

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Deboras
Participant

September 22, 2015 at 1:07 pm

Post count: 10

#20396

Vertebral bodies demonstrate normal height and alignment. No fracture or marrow replacing lesion is seen. The conus terminates at L1 and is unremarkable. Degenerative disc disease with decreased T2 signal is most pronounced at L1-L2, L2-3 and L5-S1. Increased T2 signal is noted within the bilateral L4 and L5 pedicles related to facet disease

L1-2: There is diffuse disc bulging and osteophytic ridging without central canal stenosis. Is mild foraminal narrowing

L2-3: There is diffuse disc bulging without central canal stenosis. There is mild foraminal narrowing

L3-4: There is diffuse disc bulging resulting in mild central canal stenosis. Combined with facet arthropathy there is mild foraminal narrowing

L4-5: There is diffuse disc bulging and facet arthropathy resulting in moderate left foraminal narrowing impinging the exiting left L4 nerve roots

L5-S1: There is diffuse disc bulging and superimposed left subarticular disc protrusion compressing descending left S1 nerve roots without central canal stenosis. Combined facet hypertrophy there is moderate bilateral foraminal narrowing

IMPRESSION:

Stable examination. Disc herniation at L5-S1 compresses the descending left S1 nerve roots. There is also moderate foraminal narrowing

Continued… Mild central canal stenosis at L3-4 with mild foraminal narrowing

Left L4-5 foraminal narrowing impinges the exiting left L4 nerve roots

Additional milder degenerative changes as above.
Your recommendations please

Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator

September 22, 2015 at 7:24 pm

Post count: 8660

#20398

Is this report connected to another post? Mri’s do not live in a vacuum. Symptoms and physical examination findings are the other two components to understand what the MRI findings might imply.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.

Deboras
Participant

September 23, 2015 at 2:41 pm

Post count: 10

#20399

Yes a lot of pain lower back numb feeling lower back causing major spasms under left shoulder blade pain in around left hip. Pain or burning in left big toe when pointed

Deboras
Participant

September 25, 2015 at 3:33 am

Post count: 10

#20403

Sorry dr that I was quick to give an explanation. I am a 46 year old woman. Had back issues for many years seems that if I do any thing to upset it I develop pain all in lower back. There are instances like say I’m leaning over to clean bath tub that I get a sharp pain n can’t move for a few. Pain is in left hip lower back which is causing my entire back to be in spasm n a very painful spasm under left shoulder blade, I do have an appt with spine specialist in November just looking for your option on my Mri n symptoms. The muscle relaxers and Advil not touching pain and spasms , tried heat and ice on spasm and lower back with no relieve. Only laying flat, with legs up with relief it temporary. Any advice or recc is greatly appreciated. Thank u in advance

Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator

September 26, 2015 at 7:52 am

Post count: 8660

#20408

Your symptoms can be consistent with a lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis or lumbar disc hernation. Your report from the MRI “L5-S1: There is diffuse disc bulging and superimposed left subarticular disc protrusion compressing descending left S1 nerve roots” soundless like you have a disc herniation that compresses the left S1 nerve root.

This would be associated with your complaints “I’m leaning over to clean bath tub that I get a sharp pain n can’t move for a few. pain in around left hip. Pain or burning in left big toe when pointed”.

The symptoms “a very painful spasm under left shoulder blade” would not be related to your lower back. These symptoms would be related to a neck or shoulder problem.

Dr. Corenman

PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.

Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.

Deboras
Participant

September 26, 2015 at 7:58 pm

Post count: 10

#20409

Ok I also have cervical spinal stenosis. I have appt with spine speaking in nov. any recc for treatment ?
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Donald Corenman, MD, DC

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81 reviews

Eric S

Sep 26, 2021

by Eric S on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

Successful pars repair at 46 years old

Back in November of 2018 (at 46 years old) I came from Vancouver BC to have a pars repair done with Dr. Donald Corenman at the Steadman Clinic in Vail Colorado. I'm finally posting this review nearly three years later in late 2021. The reason I waited so long was I wanted to know the final result before I posted my review. Unfortunately in that time Dr. Corenman has retired. Nevertheless, I want to post this review of Dr. Corenman and his staff at the Steadman Clinic in their excellent treatment of my L5 pars interarticularis.

I fractured my pars at age 42 back in 2014 when rolling on the gym floor, and was denied treatment by the Canadian healthcare system, probably due to my age. First my GP told me there was no surgical option for a pars defect, which was quite incorrect! I tried to live with it, but the symptoms worsened (periodic random spine slippage and weeks of resultant pain after just bending over to tie my shoe, so I eventually learned to mostly squat and hardly bend). When I finally consulted with Canadian spine surgeons, I was told they believed my pars defect had been congenital (since birth). This was absurd, considering I had done extreme martial arts (including jiu jitsu) for years prior, as well as 5 years of reinforcing steel full time in my 20s, probably the hardest job on the back you can find. No pars defect like mine would possibly have allowed this--ergo it was impossible that I had had the defect since birth. I did however have an asymptomatic congenital spina bifida occulta that made me more susceptible to a pars fracture. In 2014 in one instant, I went from having the strongest back people I knew said they'd ever seen, to being unable to safely bend over and tie my shoe without a non-negligible risk of my spine slipping randomly (which would lead to weeks of pain after each occurrence). This was due to the unilateral L5 pars defect, otherwise known as spondylolysis. It was when lying in pain on the floor 4 years later after maybe the 6th spine slippage event post injury, that I had had enough, and resolved to have surgery. If Canada's "universal health care" said no, I would make lemonade from lemons, and find the very best surgeon in the world at pars repairs. That was Dr. Donald Corenman. Dr. Corenman back in 2018 ran a website https://neckandback.com/ that dedicated many pages to the science of every aspect of pars repairs, from eligibility (good discs on MRI), to best surgical techniques (minimal open compared to minimally invasive), best imaging to use (i.e., O-Arm with Stealth imaging vs. older fluoroscopy), the ideal amount of BMP to use and why not use too much or too little, and much more, all to do with pars repairs, pages upon pages of his site just on the pars, with scientific references and his own extensive expert opinion. As a health research statistician, I was very impressed with this. It was in stark contrast to the websites of other spine surgeons which barely gave the pars a word or two, focusing almost exclusively on fusions. I had found the best surgeon in the world for pars repairs, and so after Dr. Corenman personally screened my MRI to ensure my discs were healthy, I booked the surgery.

Being 46 years old at the time of surgery in 2018, with a 4-year-old pars fracture from 2014 combined with a congenital SBO meant my pars fragment was somewhat atrophied, but it was "very solid", said Dr. Corenman in the operative report. Nevertheless, it was challenging with two things to fix, the pars and SBO, and OR time was around 4 hours. Recovery over the following months was guided by a very clear "Spine binder" from the Steadman Clinic with strict rules of "no BLT" (no bending, lifting or twisting), and illustrated physiotherapy guidelines. They even warned patients to avoid fish oil supplements, which could excessively dampen inflammation and hence slow bone healing. They answered many questions I had during months of recovery, with responses coming from the very supportive Lori Fugate (then director of Dr. Corenman's practice), and Ehrich Bean (then physician's assistant at the practice), as well as a couple calls with Dr. Corenman himself after two of the CT scans. Ehrich Bean offered great advice for taking the spine binder conservatively due to the nature of pars repairs vs. fusions. The final post-op CT scan I had was a couple weeks ago at 34 months post-op, and Dr. Corenman had retired, but I got a very positive and informative call from Eric Strauch (current PA at the Steadman Clinic under Dr. Corenman's replacement there, and who had also worked with Dr. Corenman previously). The staff at the Steadman Clinic were extremely supportive all the way through the process. I should mention, the local Canadian spine surgeon did offer me very good post-operative support including antibiotics as needed to deal with a mild surface incision-site infection early on, booking numerous x-rays when I felt something was amiss, as well as booking all four of my post-op CT scans. I am very grateful for that support also.

My final result shows plenty of solid bone across the pars and a healed SBO, with my vertebral body now a solid bone ring instead of being broken at two places as it was pre-op. Does my spine hold up in the real world? You bet! I have recently dug and moved several yards of dirt and sand and gravel by myself (shovel and wheelbarrow!) to fix our water main, pulled roots from the yard, moved several "portable" (these are HUGE) air conditioners up several flights of stairs my myself, and lifted weights. I now run 2 miles (3.2 KM) several times weekly with a hard 100 meter dash in the middle. I bend deeply before each run I go on, with no spine slippage. My spine feels amazing. I can bend over to do exercise, or real word tasks, with no risk of spine slippage.

My sincere thanks to God, Dr. Donald Corenman, Lori Fugate, Ehrich Bean, Eric Strauch, and the Steadman Clinic, as well as the Canadian spine surgeon who offered me excellent post-operative care back in Canada. You have all given me a new lease on life.

Sincerely,
Eric S

Robert S

May 11, 2021

by Robert S on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

Back Fusion Surgery

I had my entire lumbar spine fused in November of 2018. I had scoliosis , with pinched nerves that were so painful I could hardly walk - and standing for more than a few minutes was impossible. Even sitting was painful.
The fusion surgery produced immediate relief! And the recovery was much easier than I expected.
To this day I can do all the activities I love from hiking, to standing in a stream fly fishing to riding my bike long distances - or just walking down the street with my wife.
Kudos to Dr. Corenman and his staff, (including the two Erics) for taking such good care of me!

Leslie R

Jul 9, 2020

by Leslie R on Donald Corenman, MD, DC

TLIF

I had my TLIF surgery on 6/24/2020 by Dr. Corenman, I can not say enough good things about the Dr or his staff. I was always treated with respect and explained everything throughly, that made it easy for everyone to understand. I highly recommend Dr. Corenman and the Steadman Clinic.

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