[c4rlo5]

#6544

Hello,
On february this year I went into a C5-C6 fusion surgery. I was on a heavy right shoulder/ hand pain with numbness in most of my right arm fingers. After surgery my shoulder/ arm pain are minimals but the numbness at my fingers still. So I went thru a new MRI and was shock to see some new findings:

There is a reversal of the normal curvature of the cervical spine. There is apparent miss alignment of grade I anterolisthesis C4 on C5 and grade I retrolisthesis C5 on C6. New findings as compared with previous examination. Metallic susceptibility artifacts are seen overlying C6 and C7. No compression fractures seen at the remaining vertebral bodies which appear of normal height signal intensity and alignment. Generalize hypertrophy of the apophyseal joints.
C2-3 and C7-T1 shows no herniation, significant disc bulge or canal stenosis
C3-C4, C4-C5 and C5-C6 shows mild posterior disc bulge with mild central canal stenosis
C6-C7 shows moderate size posterior disc bulge central canal stenosis and bi-lateral neural foramina stenosis right mora than the left

Your opinion will be appreciated!! Thanks

[Donald Corenman, MD, DC]

#6547

This is a confusing report if you underwent a fusion of C5-6. Did the surgeon use an anterior plate?

Numbness the persists after decompressing a nerve root is not uncommon. The sensory portion of the nerve takes as much as six months to one year to improve after surgery.

A “grade I anterolisthesis C4 on C5” is a degenerative spondylolisthesis (see website for explanation). This was probably present prior to the surgery but went unnoticed. If you had a fusion at C5-6 and there now is a retrolisthesis, it may be that the fusion did not take and there is a pseudoarthrosis (lack of fusion). If the surgeon used a plate in front and it is not present now, I cannot explain that.

Metallic artifacts overlying C6-7 I cannot explain well. Was the surgery performed here and you were mistaken regarding the surgical level? Nonetheless, you have a herniation of C6-7 so I cannot explain why if that was the surgical level.

Over all, I think you need another opinion, possibly a CT scan of your neck and certainly, new X-rays.

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.

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