[zfontana]

[quote=mmglobal;16901]Z, good luck with your procedure. I'm curious... if the level is fused and the facet is immobile... why is it painful?

Mark[/QUOTE


what I meant was, if I had to have a posterior fusion at L4 – L5 which is the level of the prodisc. Since L5S1 is fused maybe it would be easier to stop that movement at the pro-disc level. The inferior plate does not move because the vertebrae is fused. I had a hybid surgery. For example, if you had a pro-disc at L5 –s1, L4 – L5 and your joints became a problem it would be hard to fuse both segments because of the hypermobility of the pro-disc. But I know it would be hard to fuse posteriorly a prodisc no matter what the circumstances are. I just hope tomorrow that this endoscopic RF helps at least 20 to 50%. I do have moderate facet hypertrophy at L4-l5. I had this pre-surgery which I thought it was mild as I discussed with you. If I would have known that my facets were moderate, I would have went with the fusion instead. I do blame myself for this, because I work in a hospital and I had all the time in the world to ask the radiologist what my facets at L4 – l5look like. The report stated from my MRI that my facet joints had presence of arthrosis and did not give any degree. MRI from a year pre-surgery stated it was mild. So I assumed that my facets were still mild. So I cannot make a decision based on something that I was not aware of. I'm just one of the hundred thousand people year that are misdiagnosed. So if I have to have a posterior fusion I just hope I can be one of the lucky ones. But I do know posterior fusions due to the muscle being ripped to shreds. That the outcome will not be as good as if I just went ahead with the anterior fusion.
z