Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

SI Fusion

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • SI Fusion

    Hi Everyone, I haven't been on here in years. Everything has been going okay. Still having pain. Have been doing ART (Active Release Therapy). It has really helped with a lot of the tingling nerve pain in the lower back. My lower back has had 3 surgeries so lots of scar tissue. My skin was stuck to my fascia, the fascia stuck to the muscle so nothing could really move along with all the scar tissue. We finally have that all straightened out but still have some nerve pain. The doctors tried to do a Facet Rhizotomy on my lumbar area but could only get into one joint because of the hardware and bone growth. That one joint has helped. I now get SI joint injections every 3 months that work. They let me walk without so much pain on my lower back. Since those have been working we were going to try for a longer fix by doing a SI Joint Rhizotomy (burning the nerves in the SI joint). Before that is done, a SI Joint block is done to make sure that it will work. The dr tried multiply times but with the pelvic screws and hardware was not able to get the needle into the joint. The only other options is a spine stimulator (I'm not crazy about that). There is enough stuff in my back already and I don't want something else in there. The other thing would be the SI Joint Fusion. I have seen where one person had this done back in 2017 I think, and had a revision a little later. But I didn't see what the outcome was after the revision. I also saw where Linda said something about some articles but didn't see the articles. I also saw where someone was talking about having a lot of pressure in the sacral area. I have that when I walk for any amount of time. I need to use a hiking stick when I'm going to be walking for any amount of time to help hold me up. If I do that it really helps, if not then I'm slowly leaning forward. The longer I walk, the more I lean, then of course the more pressure and the more I hurt. The last two surgeries I had helped quite a bit. I am very grateful that I had my surgeries when I did. If I had waited much longer, I would have been in a wheel chair for sure. My sternum had been pulled about an inch to the right of center. Sitting is the worst right now. Usually I fly every where because it's quicker. This weekend my husband and I and driving to Dallas from Colorado Springs (a 10 hour drive). Before surgery that would have been a quick day drive. We are planning a 2 day drive each way. Drive for 2 1/2 hours, stop and hike for a hour then another 2 1/2 hour drive and stop for the night. We need to bring some items that my younger brother brought back from Atlanta from my dad's house for us, so definitely can't fly. I think this will work though. I can hike a lot longer than I can sit as long as I have my hiking stick! I hope someone has some info about the SI Fusion with being fused to the sacrum and with the pelvic screws. The drs and pretty confident that is where some of this pain is coming from since the SI injections help.

    Theresa
    Last edited by Theresa; 10-08-2018, 07:33 PM.
    Theresa

    April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
    Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
    Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
    Fused T2 to sacrum
    June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
    MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

    FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

  • #2
    Originally posted by Theresa View Post
    I have seen where one person had this done back in 2017 I think, and had a revision a little later. But I didn't see what the outcome was after the revision.
    Hi Theresa

    That was Spinals....

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/membe...497399-Spinals

    I don't really know how she is doing on the SI joint surgeries....

    Ed
    49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
    Pre surgery curves T70,L70
    ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
    Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

    Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

    My x-rays
    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi, yes that was me! I am also fused from T2 to sacrum with pelvic screws. Unfortunately I regret having my SI joint fused. After the first attempt in Oct 2017 I ended up with a sacral insufficiency fracture. I then underwent a revision 8 weeks later and was then completely non weightbearing for 6 weeks. However, I still have trouble with this area so am awaiting the results of a second bone densitometry scan to see if the fracture has occurred again. Apparently the long fusion i already have puts a lot of pressure/force on the SI joint fusion. I would think carefully before opting for this but this is just based on my own personal experience........
      Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis diagnosed aged 6/7
      Milwaukee brace 1980 - 1984, Fused T2 - L3 with Harrington Rod 1984, 10 rib costoplasty 1999, artificial disc at L3/L4 2003, extended fusion to L5 2006.
      2015 - Sagittal plane imbalance correction by insertion of 30 degree hyperlordotic cage at L5/S1 level (anterior approach) with fixation to pelvis (posterior approach) now fused T2 to sacrum.
      2017 - October - SI joint fusion - left side
      2017 - December - Revision of failed left SI joint fusion

      Comment

      Working...
      X