Spinal fusion and artificial disc question?

My husband had an L4-L5 fusion with bone graft, pins and screws 4 years ago. He has always had bad pain, recently escalating, with a daily low level of 5 on the 1-10 scale, spiking up to 8-9. More recent doctors are decrying the fusion as the cause of sequential disc degeneration, in that it's bad to stop a naturally mobile part of the body. We're now researching artificial discs. Based on your clinical knowledge or experience, could using an artificial disc above and/or below the fusion stop the sequential disc deterioration?

Spinal fusion and artificial disc question?
failed back surgery, such as the case of your husband, is very common.





ask yourself something, "How has surgery worked". Then you can answer if you should do surgery again.





Have you thought of Chiropractic treatment? With his situation, it's harder for a chiropractor to treat (since he has a failed back surgery w/ fusion) but there is an awesome failed back technique called COX Flexion Distraction. Call your local chiropractors and ask if they do that. It works very well. I don't do it in office yet (the equipment is expensive), but the treatment is very cost effective and works wonders. If you can't find a chiro in your area who does it, let me know and I'll find you one close.





Best of luck
Reply:Artificial discs are still a fairly new technology, so we don't really know what the long term consequences will be yet. That said, any spinal surgery has the potential to cause scar tissue, which can be the cause of pain that returns after surgery. One of the problems with spinal fusion is that regardless of what you do now, the segments above and below the fusion will move more in compensation, which may eventually lead to more degeneration. Keep in mind that the degeneration may not be what is causing the pain, however. Has he recently been assessed by a SPECIALIST to see what the cause of the pain is? What was the reason for the initial surgery?
Reply:most of the experts are divided on this issue. but the articles are clear rarely does a second surgery help ajacent level disease. There is very little flexion in the lumbar spine and so the idea of a moveable disc helping may not be the answer. Find out if the pain is mechanical or neuropathic.
Reply:i had the same surgery in 2003 and have had much success, however i was told there was a possibility that the disks above could become bad...i would recommend talking to the surgeon b/c all of this should have been discussed prior to surgery