loose screws after spinal fusion

I had a T2-L4 fusion in Dec. 2003 after waking up paralyzed from the waist down. They were able to repair the damage and after months of physical therapy I was okay. I went years with little to no pain. Then in September of 2009 I stared to get sciatica in my Left leg. I was told my L4 and L5 vertebrata were literally falling apart form the stress. I went in to have some broken hardware replaced and to further the fusion to T2-S1. When I woke up my Left leg was fine but my entire Right leg was numb. A week later I went in ans had the whole thing redone. The surgeon found that the L5 and S1 nerves had been pinched under a screw!!! Now I have incredible nerve pain in my right leg. It has been 5 months and only slight feeling has come back. Now I have also been having increased lower back pain that I am told is very likely lose screws at the S1 level. I do not know if I can handl a 4th surgery. What if I wake up and something else is wrong. I was also told I am developing Arachnoiditis. Does anyone else have this or have had anything similar happen to them?

Where do i begin , well lets start with my list of surgerys. Microdisectomy (sp), Fusion at L3 L4 , Dorsal column stiumlator placement, Bone spur shaving, and fuson of L5 S1, now iam having pain in legs, weakeness numbness tingling. Went for CT scan and Xray , There is a shift in my spine at what Looks like L4, also the L5 S1 is shifted on the right side to the midline aka middle of my back . very crooked :( and the head of the one pedicle looks as if its gone and the facet is almost off completely. So that being Said has anyone had a issue like this? or simliar ? iam terrified !! help , Ohh I see my back surgeon on wed.(not soon enough) everyone who looks at the ct or xray , aka moms home health nurse ( rn) and my Anatomy instructor ( chripractor ) is very concerned at the above diagnostic tests.. any help comments ,or concerns are apperciated ! thank you all !!

It would really be terrible to end up in a compromising situation after a back surgery. i just hope that more people will learn from other's experiences and learn to value natural managements and furniture like [url=http://www.ergonomicchair .org/news/71/Pain-on-the-Brain %3A-How-Doctors-Will-Soon-Be-A ble-to-Measure-Your-Pain-Throu gh-Brain-Scans.html/]ergonomic chair[/url] to avoid getting into such situation.

i had spinal fusion between L4 L5,please could anyone tell me the symptoms of loosening screws,i have six,an a plate,it has been a year since my op but i am still suffering a loss of use on my right leg,nice to see advice is here,i am good for nothing in the mornings,my back is so stiff when i get up,does anyone else suffer this,goin to see a professor tomorrow,aparently he is the top expert,who knows?? ive never heard of him,any help would be appreciated,thanks

I had spinal fusions July 09 @ L2-3, L3-4, L4-5, and was better for a while. This year, the Sciatic nerve pain returned, and some of the numbness I had before surgery came back. Since April 1, I've had 3 Epidural injections and after each one I kept a Fluoroscope print-out. Not all the print outs showed the screws, but in July, I got a picture of all of them. Sept. 10th, I woke up and couldn't walk at all, I missed a days work, but seen my neurosurgeon and he ordered a new MRI. The report showed a moderately pinched nerve @ L-4, but a grade one Anterolisthesis @ L-4 of 10 mm in respect to L-3. This made sence, but what caused the shift? I was really worried now, and had some new X-Rays taken on 11/15/11. My Dr. educated me on what he was dong and putting in my back before the surgery, and I researched it, looked at the Pedicle screws and related hardware. I work on cars and these things look like Header bolts used to attached headers to Hi-Per engiones. When I looked at the X-rays myself, after the Dr said they weren't bad, to my horror, I noticed of of the shoulders used to seat the screws was loose. Not just loose, this part has come completely off of the rod, and moved doen my back approx. 15 mm. I suspect the bone graph is busted too, but the thing is this: My pain management Dr. missed it, the MRI Dr. who read that missed it, and on the 16th of this week, that radiologist missed it!!!! I called the Radiologist back and had them look again---same thing. In all 5 films, this part is free, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I have had plenty of X-rays and MRI's along with the 11 surgeries I've had, and even my family doctor was just amazed the nobody caught it. Finally, I requested a new radiologist look at the films, and finally, they got it right, that the hardware is loose, has become unstable and needs to be repaired. This, to me, could be the underlying issue with my back, the reason I'm on 90 mg Morphine a day, muscle relaxers, Ibuprofen, and 1800 mg of Neurontin a day. I see a new neurosurgeon on Monday, as my Dr. who operated on me has retired. This had got me pretty upset, but the fact is I need surgery again to correct the issue, along with needing my left knee replaced from wear and tear of working on cars.. Missouri has a 2 year statute of limitations of these things, but what about this missed diagnosis this year? I'm not wanting to sue anyone, just want to be fixed, and I knew going into any surgery dealing with the spine is a crap-shoot, real risky stuff. Thanx everyone---

My spinal fusion was in July of 2009 @ L3,4,5, with instrumentation's and bone graphs. My left leg started going numb about one year after, then the pain increased substantially, although it never completely went away after the surgery. This year, I had several episodes when I had excruciating Sciatic pain, where I couldn't even walk, in my left leg. Went to pain management and started epidurals injections, but no new x-rays were taken. Finally, after putting me on 90 mg of MS CONTIN (time release Morphine), I insisted on some new X-rays, and they turned up that the hardware on the back of the screw shoulder, had come completely off of the screw, and the rod @ l4-5. It's just floating around back there causing a bunch of pain. The surgeon who did my surgery has since quit the office he was working out of, and is doing missionary work overseas. So, I need a new neurosurgeon now, can't sue anyone because of the statute of limitations in my state, and this problem is getting worst, because Morphine isn't gonna fix anything.

emilios wrote:

i had a spinal fusion on S1-L5-L4-L3 on november. between L5 and L4 he put a ceramic cage.S1-L5 discectomy and L4-L3 the screws are able to move to all directions. i feel much better but sometimes i feel pain on the back muscles and i think itis from the screws.is true that through time the disc S1-L5 will become bone?can i remove the screws and be better?

I had 4 level fission s1-l3 July 10. Now 1.5 yrs later (under dr care & healing fir 2yrs) X-ray show 2 loose screws . I find they need to be removed if shots do not work (shots are soppose to stimulate bone growth ?) pain Lower Back wher loose screws are.

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Had spinal fusion with screws, 8 screws, cages and bone in April of 2011. Coming on one year and still have pain with numbness in right leg and foot. Took a fall 1 week ago and now numbness in left leg. Saw surgeon thew other day. Did CT and MRI and noticed halo effect of two top screws and two bottom ones. Surgery is an option to remove the loose screws to relieve the nerve pain when they move. If I can get 50% relief I will do so. Quality of life is more important than being in constant pain or being on drugs. Surgery is relatively simple as I was informed and recuperation time is a lot less. Will consider procedure sooner rather than later. Good luck.

Gooday everyone, i can sympathize with you all because i am pretty much in the same predicament. I had a Spinal Fusion L4/L5/S1 on 22 Feb 2011 and am now just in as much pain as i was before and am suicidal. Apparently the bolts are loose and the metal cages they put in have no bone growth over or in them.:( They are trying to get bone to grow in there but nothing happening and talking about re-doing it again next year. I might as well just drug myself up to oblivion because i am sick to death of it. Good luck to everyone else though. I feel for you all.
Sincerely
Ken

WOW, Reading all of these blogs is very sad. I had S1,L5,L4 fused in July 2011. Loose screws were discovered only 3 months later and my doctor seems to keep putting surgery off and now claims failed fusion. Are any of you seeking legal remedies and if so what Attorney are you using. All of these cases are to be reported to the FDA and I am not seeing that. Anyone with info on a good Attorney in Orlando, Florida please let me know.
Ozzy1007@hotmail.com