Facet joint arthritis post-fusion

[Cakedec]

My physical therapist today was reading my bone scan report and said there was facet joint arthritis from L3 to L5, which has been causing me lower back pain and leg sciatica type pain. My posterior fusion was down to L5 so it seemed strange that I would still have the facet joints on there as it was my understanding that they were removed during the fusion and I'm not sure why they would be causing me problems one-year post-op.

Does anyone have any knowledge about this?

Deb
posterior surgery 7/24/06
T5 to L5
for 72 and 77 degree s curve

[Karen Ocker]

PT reading X-rays????

Physical therapists are not qualified to read x-rays. Radiologists go through years of training and those with experience in reading scoliosis are the most qualified.
I had a chest x-ray read by a radiologist at a small community hospital report that I had "harrington rods" WRONG!!! I NEVER had them. I have Isola rods with pedicle screws. So even inexperienced radiologists can get it wrong--never mind a PT. The hardware can cause glare on the films. I once had a CT scan for abdominal pain. The radiology resident in the ER stated I had a clot in the kidney. WRONG. It was glare from the hardware.
It was gallstones!!!
If you are fused to L-5 then the facet joints are fused. They are part of the spine itself and are never removed.

Not sure you would call that arthritis.

[Shari]

Hi Deb,

I'm in complete agreement with Karen, and I hope Linda R. might chime in here with some valuable advice. I mean no offense to anyone in the PT profession, I have nothing but the utmost respect for what they do, but I'm not 100% sure they can understand exactly what our complications can be after such an extreme surgery.

Again, I have to state that it's a shame that all the different professionals that we have to see after this type of surgery don't have some sort of common knowledge and collaboration regarding our recovery.

Without showing any kind of lack of knowledge on this subct

Just my opinion,
Shari

[rainbow2010]

I have had nerves burned at the facet joint. I thought that was where the nerve branched out from the spinal cord. I would get a doctor's opinion. I have had PTs who didn't know what scoliosis was and I told the doctor to never send me there.

[Cakedec]

Thanks for your responses.

The physical therapist was just reading the report that was sent to him by my orthopedic dr. about the bone scan. I have not been able to get into the surgeon to talk to him about it; he just looked at the report and had his office send me to physical therapy. He thought that it was SI joint disease but the scan was negative for that and positive for wear on the facet joints.

If that is where the nerves branch out from the facets, that would account for the nerve-type of pain coming out from that area. Unfortunately, no one seems to have anything to offer me to help it.

This therapist is experienced with spinal issues and scoliosis, but even he told me I may have to use crutches to get stress off that area for a couple of weeks.

Deb

[structural75]

I don't think it's inappropriate for a PT to be reading a report written by the radiologist... That's what they're supposed to do. I'd be concerned if the PT I was going to didn't take the time to read the radiology report.

And it seems as though even Doctors aren't fully aware of the possible complications of the surgeries they're performing. So in all fairness to the PT here, unless the Dr/surgeon has any better advice besides another surgery, it seems that the PT is the only thing to do/try at the moment. It seems that if the Dr/surgeon would cooperate with the PT and communicate their expert opinion on this complicated surgery then maybe the PT would be able to offer something more.???

[Cakedec]

Appointment Friday re: this

Thanks, Structural. I agree.

Finally got an appointment to get in to see my busy surgeon dr. (one month wait) regarding this. I had my therapist fax his evaluation to the dr. and hopefully this will help them get onto the same page for my treatment.

Deb