|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
|
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leesa
Hey Dubious ~ isn't that a "bad" area to fuse in the first place, since there's so much movement? I wouldn't think any doctor would WANT to fuse that area, but I don't know that much about it. I haven't heard of fusions that low before. This is the first, I think, that I've heard of. ????? Can you offer a little more info? Hugs, Lee
|
Any fusion is "bad" in the first place! But it is really more about stabilizing two motion units and and trying to make a bad situation better. A necessary evil, if you will. As far as prevelance of fusions per level....that's a textbook question but my hunch is that since most disc herniations in the lumbar region occur at L4-L5 and L5-S1 with the majority of those occuring at L5-S1, and since some number of those discectomies will require fusions, I would think that most fusion do occur at those two levels.
Spondy's are different in that they are relatively unstable compared to normal anatomy and when all conservative forms of therapy fail, there is no other way to deal with it other than fusion. But as I mentioned before, it is a huge surgery with questionable outcome so I am not sure it is worth it until you just can't get up from the floor!
But you are correct about the amount of motion. AMA Guidelines place maximum combined sum total of flexion plus extension at 15 deg. for any two motion units between L1 and L4, 20 degrees for L4-L5 and 25 degrees for L5-S1.
|