Neck Fusion Experience?

Yeah! just the title sounds great doesn't it?-"Think I'll get my neck fused."

That's what's been recommended to me by an ortho doc in Steamboat and one over at the Steadman clinic in Vail.

I've got loss of strength, mild tingling in rt. thumb-a little pain in neck area. It started out of no where about 4 weeks ago.

I'd really like to avoid surgery. I've done a prednasone pack (helped w/pain), some p.t., massage, a bit of chiro.
-MRI revealed 3 herniated cervical discs at 3-4,4-5,5-6-with a pinched nerve at 5-6, bone spurs too.

Have you had or know anyone who's had any kind of neck fusion? How did it go? Where you/they able to return to the lifestyle had previous to surgery?

I had my neck fused 6yrs ago, C4-C7. Apparently I broke my neck as a kid, had surgery at 40, thru the front of neck. In a neck brace for 2 months after surgery. I was riding motorcycle and mtn bike 3 months after surgery. I was able to ride mtn bike for 5 years, but quit last year due to neck pain. I gave up sportbikes/racing, but still ride a Ducati Multistrada with no issues. I still backcountry ski 50+ days/year, with little issues. My neck definitely prefers powder though. :) And I gave up hockey after surgery.

I guess my lifestyle changed some, but overall still having fun.

Take care and Good luck.

Friend did a couple of years ago. Sounds like she had to be a bit careful right after it, but is now a full-on badass again, wildland firefighter [in her 40's] in the summer, burly backcountry skier by winter.

Was recommended neck fusion. Looked hard at disc replacement as an option, but eventually did foraminotomy (basically removing bone to make more room for nerves) as a kind of stop-gap in the hopes that something better will be available soonish. Either better disc replacement options, or something else entirely. Foraminotomy was not fun either, but I'm glad I did it.

Disc replacement seems to be the newest & best treatment, but multilevel replacement isn't approved in the US yet, and lots of insurance companies don't even like to cover the single level surgeries yet.

I had anterior fusion of C5 - C6 about 5 years ago. Cadaver bone replaced the disk and a titanium plate held everything together while the bone fused. I'm very glad I had the surgery, the relief from the pain was immediate, and I can do everything I could before - run, bike, ski.

The surgery was a piece of cake, went into the OR at 8:00, was home by 1:00. Was on my road bike a week after.

That being said, surgery should be the last option. Give the PT more time to work. Also pay attention to your ergonomics. I was sleeping on my stomach with my head turned to the side which put alot of pressure on the nerve.

Are they recommending fusing C3 to C6? You will lose alot of range of motion.

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Originally Posted by Skistack

I had anterior fusion of C5 - C6 about 5 years ago. Cadaver bone replaced the disk and a titanium plate held everything together while the bone fused. I'm very glad I had the surgery, the relief from the pain was immediate, and I can do everything I could before - run, bike, ski.

The surgery was a piece of cake, went into the OR at 8:00, was home by 1:00. Was on my road bike a week after.

That being said, surgery should be the last option. Give the PT more time to work. Also pay attention to your ergonomics. I was sleeping on my stomach with my head turned to the side which put alot of pressure on the nerve.

Are they recommending fusing C3 to C6? You will lose alot of range of motion.

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The Steadman Doc- Dr. Corenman wants to use an artifcial disc at 4-5- in order to preserve movement and help avoid additional stress on my 3-4 area- and fuse 5-6.

I had a fusion c4/5. The disc replacement must not been available 10 years ago, I was not given that option. I had the procedure to open up the nerve opening, foraminotomy,with no relief then had the fusion. The fusion was not nearly as painful as the opening of the nerve area. I lost some range of motion and can't look up very long before my neck starts hurting. I don't think there is anything I wouldn't do now that I would have done before, with the exception of riding a road bike for long rides. It has been a while ago but I think I was told the cadaver bone would not be fused for a year.
A consideration for you. A neurosurgeon in training does far more of these surgeries than a orthopaedic surgeon without a fellowship. That being said after they get into practice a orthopaedic can have a lot of experience. But that Neurosurgeon is getting experience as well.
Good Luck.

I had this done about five years ago, after five years of increasing pain, muscle spasms, epidural injections and loss of sensation in right fingers.
Attachment 107207Attachment 107209

It was pretty starightforward. Cut an opening just above the clavicle, move the carotid artery and trachea out of the way and go to town.

I was pretty nauseous right after the surgery - apparently it's pretty easy to bump the spinal column doing this procedure - but was out walking five miles two days later, and back on mountain bikes/skis in six weeks. Only post op problem was the day after I got out of hospital when I decided to drink some milk straight out of the carton. Leaned my head back and it felt like someone hit me across the back with a baseball bat - even the triceps on both arms felt like they got whacked. Was a little scary to be choking and shooting milk out your nose after being told to take it easy for a few days.

At first I thought it was my mother calling out from the grave, "God dammit Bobby, you know better than to drink straight out of a carton - go get a glass!." But the doc told me it was just that everything was swollen around the surgery site and the bone graft hit the spinal column.

Good luck

I've had the mild tingling for a long time resulting from bulging discs C4-C7 (not herniated discs ). PT helped a TON and I would strongly recommend trying that for a few weeks that before jumping into surgery.

I'm working on my PhD in spine biomechanics so I say this next part resulting from what I see in the lab all the time: Current disc replacements are junk and won't last very long. IF you have to get surgery, go with a fusion - not a disc replacement. You will loose some range of motion but hopefully will have some pain relieved. I would also get 2-3 opinions.

Good Luck.

I've gotten 4 opinions and will be going to the Steadman clinic in Vail tomorrow morn to get fixed up: synthes hardened steel artificial disc at C 4-5 and a fusion at 5-6. The idea behind the artificial disc is twofold: maintain range of motion and to help take the strain off C 3-4 (transient syndrome). This makes sense to me. A fusion at 4-5 would only bump up my symptoms up to 3-4 which most-likely would trash that disc out sooner.

The disc space between my C 3-4-5-6 is nearly non-existent and the bone spurs that are forming between the vertebrae are nearly touching the vertebrae above/below. No amount of p.t. will open up those calcified bone spaces-it's not soft tissue, it's bone which needs to be removed and manually opened up.

It's kinda like 6 in one, half-dozen in the other as far as fusing that area or going with a technology that has only been available in the states since 2009. The synthes disc is made of ultra hardened nickelized steel and is the most durable option out there.

But, you do have a point-they've not been out long enough to show much of a track record. I do know they've been used in Europe for the past 12 or so years with success.

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Originally Posted by nieveparasiempre

I've had the mild tingling for a long time resulting from bulging discs C4-C7 (not herniated discs ). PT helped a TON and I would strongly recommend trying that for a few weeks that before jumping into surgery.

I'm working on my PhD in spine biomechanics so I say this next part resulting from what I see in the lab all the time: Current disc replacements are junk and won't last very long. IF you have to get surgery, go with a fusion - not a disc replacement. You will loose some range of motion but hopefully will have some pain relieved. I would also get 2-3 opinions.

Good Luck.

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I have the same stuff going on in mine, and have been spending much time researching as well. I think the combo of adding the disc replacement is a good alternative. It can always be taken out and fused years down the road, and probably also be replaced down the road with a newer better disc. But once it is fused, it is fuse for life.

Yep, I'm sitting here at the kitchen bar with a rigid neck brace on and an incision on my neck and hip.Had the deal done on Monday-already have more strength back in rt. arm. Esophogus a bit swollen-difficulty eating much else besdes fruit, ice cream...

-Now the hard part begins- taking it easy, getting ready for p.t., staying mentally positive for the next 3 months.

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Originally Posted by Yardsale81

I have the same stuff going on in mine, and have been spending much time researching as well. I think the combo of adding the disc replacement is a good alternative. It can always be taken out and fused years down the road, and probably also be replaced down the road with a newer better disc. But once it is fused, it is fuse for life.

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Hang in there, it gets better.

Do not stop/forget to take pain meds. I thought I would be a man, a few days after surgery, and stop taking pain meds. Major mistake.

Good advice- I've been taking them regularly at night for sleep and a bit less during the day. Today is day 4 and I feel better.

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Originally Posted by tuacati

Hang in there, it gets better.

Do not stop/forget to take pain meds. I thought I would be a man, a few days after surgery, and stop taking pain meds. Major mistake.

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Hang in there man, you will ski again. If it makes you feel better, this has not been much of a powder year so far.