I am 58 years old (male) and I have had a two lumbar fusions, one in 2004 and the other in 2005. My symptoms were buttocks pain and numbness and weakness and atrophying of the thigh muscles in my right leg.

The fusions worked beautifully, all my symptoms went away and I became normally active once again. A year or so after the last fusion my hips started bothering me. My primary care doctor sent me to a rheumatologist, suspecting I had RA. Sure enough, I was diagnosed with not only RA, but also Ankylosing Spondylitis. The infusion treatments (Remicade) and weekly injections (Methotrexate) were not started early enough to halt the deterioration of my hip joints. I had both joints replaced, one in 2006 and the other in 2007.

Last year, I assume either due to the RA or AS, I started having shoulder pain and numbness in my arms and hands. An Orthopedic surgeon determined I was in need of a two level fusion in my cervical spine (C4/5, C5/6). This procedure was done in April of this year and my pain and numbness went completely away and I regained strength in my hand and fingers. Awesome!

Five months after the fusion surgery, I started having constant pain on the left side of my neck. An MRI last week revealed significant deterioration of C2/3,C3/4, since the last MRI in April. The surgeon is sending me for a facet joint injection. He said we need to try this first because the next step would be to fuse my entire neck, which he said "is not good at all".

After this lenghthy diatribe, my question is this: What mobility, if any, will I have with my entire neck fused? Anyone had this done? Any help would be appreciated!