EMG confirms nerve compression at L5

[jackieg412]

I injured something a few months ago by extreme squatting and reaching. I did not fall and wasn't pushed. I just moved quickly to reach the floor. I knew something pulled hard from my lower spine. I ended up with a partial tare in my hamstring. I did PT for that but my leg keeps going numb.
I went to the spine doctor and he found that my leg and foot had no reflexes. He ordered an MRI and it showed the hamstring problem. Today I had an EMG and it proved a nerve compression at L5. The surgeon told me before the EMG that it can't be my spine because it is fused. Ok so what else can it be? The MRI showed no hip problem. I say something pulled in the spine and then the problem.
I will see the surgeon next week to discuss this but does any one have any idea what else can be compressing the nerve. I know the longer it is compressed the more permanent the nerve damage is . Any ideas?

[titaniumed]

Today I had an EMG and it proved a nerve compression at L5.

A bone spur?

Ed

[jackieg412]

That is a possibility but I thought a bone spur would show on the MRI. Maybe they need to look again.

[leahdragonfly]

Any possibility of a bony overgrowth from the fusion? I think Tamena had that and it was a relatively minor fix.

[tae_tap]

Ow

When I had the bone on top of the nerve it did not really show up on the ct. On the mylogram it only looked like a sliver of an egg shell. Once they went in to look is when they realized it was much larger than an egg shell. It was growth from th bmp that could have possibly been displaced during the irrigation of the area. I do know that with bmp overgrowth can happen over time. So a bone spur is a likey possibility that might not show up on any imaging.

Tamena.

[jackieg412]

Thank you for the information. It has been awhile since lumbar fusion and bmp was used. All lumbar was doing fine until I did that move. I felt the extreme pull in the low spine. I really thought I pulled a muscle but it wouldn't go away . I was dealing with the arm issue and had that surgery. Then that recovery which is going well.
Back to the leg problem. I saw the spine surgeon this past Thursday and he reviewed the EMG. According to him the EMG is "grossly abnormal". That doesn't sound too good to me. He is still saying it can't be the spine became it is fused. So he took another look at the MRI and the radiologist never mentioned this but when he found the scan comparing the sciatic nerves the image shows the effected leg's nerve is greatly enlarged. He told me he doesn't know what it is and has never seen this. He also said he doesn't know who to ask for help. So he ordered a pet scan that I will have next week. I questioned him on why this type of test and he said he needs as much information as he can get. He also said he didn't see any tumors. I told him he was scaring me. But he just kept saying I really have never seen this and I don't know why it is happening. He said the enlarged sciatic nerve can be the reaction to a nerve injury.
If any one has another idea please post.