Please Help! How can I have a disc bulge where there is an artificial disc?

**rebeccawlaw** · 10-07-2010, 03:39 PM

I had ADR on March 31, 2009 and recently had a CT myelogram because of continuing pain. I was a little confused with the results of the CT myelogram. This is what it said at the level of the artificial disc:

C3-4 Visualization slightly limited by beam hardening from anterior
metal fusion including vertebral body screws. Artificial disc. No
evidence of hardware complications. Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy and
mild nonspecific posterior soft tissue/disc bulge results in partial
effacement of ventral thecal sac but no spinal stenosis.

If I had an artificial disc put in, how can there still be a disc bulge at that level? This even looked funny to me on the actual films. I asked my neurosurgeon about it and he said that he had to put the artificial disc further back to make it more stable.

This just doesn't seem right to me. Why would my neurosurgeon place the artificial disc so that it was effacing the thecal sac? Is this usually how artificial discs are placed? Could this be the reason why my pain never went away?

I would appreciate any help I can get on this. I don't know if I should find another neurosurgeon for an opinion on whether the disc was placed wrong. If so, do I need to find a neurosurgeon with a lot of experience in artificial discs? Does anyone know a neurosurgeon with cervical artificial disc experience in the Chicago area (besides CINN)?

Thanks!

**Justin** · 10-07-2010, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by rebeccawlaw

I had ADR on March 31, 2009 and recently had a CT myelogram because of continuing pain. I was a little confused with the results of the CT myelogram. This is what it said at the level of the artificial disc:

C3-4 Visualization slightly limited by beam hardening from anterior
metal fusion including vertebral body screws. Artificial disc. No
evidence of hardware complications. Uncovertebral joint hypertrophy and
mild nonspecific posterior soft tissue/disc bulge results in partial
effacement of ventral thecal sac but no spinal stenosis.

If I had an artificial disc put in, how can there still be a disc bulge at that level? This even looked funny to me on the actual films. I asked my neurosurgeon about it and he said that he had to put the artificial disc further back to make it more stable.

This just doesn't seem right to me. Why would my neurosurgeon place the artificial disc so that it was effacing the thecal sac? Is this usually how artificial discs are placed? Could this be the reason why my pain never went away?

Interesting. Without seeing the films, all of my thoughts regarding the above would be pure speculation.

Originally Posted by rebeccawlaw

I would appreciate any help I can get on this. I don't know if I should find another neurosurgeon for an opinion on whether the disc was placed wrong. If so, do I need to find a neurosurgeon with a lot of experience in artificial discs? Does anyone know a neurosurgeon with cervical artificial disc experience in the Chicago area (besides CINN)?

Thanks!

Rebecca, another opinion from either a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon sounds like it's indicated.

**KBear** · 10-07-2010, 08:25 PM

I would definitely get the second opinion too. I did read something saying that part of the disc was left for ADR. I didn't really understand why or if this is all discs or what. I'll have to see if I can find that post on here.

**KBear** · 10-07-2010, 08:27 PM

Wow, can't believe I found it that quickly (awesome search function Justin

) Here is the link on it Pain from disc annulus POST ADR?

**rob wilson** · 10-08-2010, 11:56 AM

I have had nerve root decompression post ADR. You can either have pain from stenosis or disc (posterior) that is very difficult to take out anteriorly.