Donald Corenman, MD, DC
Moderator
Post count: 8660

The MRI might note solid fusion but the MRI is generally not a reliable test to determine if fusion is present. This MRI however does note no evidence of compression of neurological structures so unless there is a lack of fusion, the neck is probably not the source of your pain. A CT scan however would eliminate that lack of fusion diagnosis for pain generation as the CT test is the gold standard for determining if fusion is solid or not.

Thoracic pain (not generated from the cervical spine) could be from disc, facet or nerve origin. The MRI notes degenerative changes of the disc and no evidence of nerve of cord compression. Facet generated pain will not be demonstrated by an MRI and has to be diagnosed by facet blocks (see website). Disc pain is generally diagnosed by discograms but I generally do not recommend discograms in the thoracic spine. Also, discograms are a pre-surgical test which is again not generally recommended in the thoracic spine.

An epidural injection may help relieve symptoms at the level of the degenerative disc.

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.