Help me understand my MRI report
 

Chronic loss of the L2-L5 vertibral body heights. At T-12-L1 Disc bulging. At L1-L-2 Moderate spinal canal stenoisis due to disc bulging, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum and facet disease. At L-2 L-3 Mild spinal canal stenosis due to disc bulging, right postero-lateral disc protrusion, facet osteoarthropathy and hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum. Also mild right side neuroforaminal narrowing wothout nerve root impingement. At L-3 L-4 Disc Bulging. At L-4 L-5 Mild spinal canal stenosis due to disc bulging , hypertrophy of the ligamantum flavum, facet disease and central to left central disc protrusion. There is a mild narrowing of the left lateral recess which my cause impingement on the descending L-5 nerve root. At L-5-S-1 There is a disc bulge with a central to right sentral disc protrusion and annual fissure tear of the L-5-S-1 level.The only root impingement mentioned was possible impingement of the L-5 root. The only really significant loking stenosis is at L-1- L-2.
MRI axial images show obliteration of any CSF signal at l1-L2 and L2-L3

I also have drop foot in both feet.

I'll try to help:

Chronic loss of the L2-L5 vertebral body heights -- This is no doubt due to degenerative disc disease. This happens as we age, and everyone gets it. Some of us get it sooner than others. What happens is the discs dry out. When that happens the discs flatten, and then tend to bulge and/or herniate. When they flatten, so you lose disc height. You even become shorter as this continues since this is a degenerative disease.

At L1-2 - Moderate spinal canal stenosis & disc bulging. The stenosis is NOT due to discs bulging. The stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column, putting pressure on nerve roots and can cause sciatica, etc.
Hypertrophy of the ligamentum Flavum -- that is overgrowth of a series of ligaments of hellow elastic tissue connectinglaminae of adjacent vertebrae from axis to sacrum. Right side foraminal narrowing -- the foramen is the hole in which the nerves pass thru to get to the spinal cord.

L3-4 - Disc bulge

L4-5 -Spinal canal stenosis, disc bulge, hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum, facet disease (Probably arthritis or osteoarthritis) and disc protrusion; mild narrowing of the lateral recess which may cause impingement of the L5 nerve root.

L5-S1 - with central to right disc protrusion and annular tear. An annular tear is the fluid filled sac that the disc sits in.

What is the plan of action that your Neurosurgeon suggests?? Since you have drop foot in both feet, what is he going to do? Have you gotten any other opinions? BEFORE you decide to undergo any surgery, get AT LEAST 2 more opinions, as surgery should be a LAST RESORT!!! Chances are good that physical therapy could help you immensely!!! Do NOT jump at okaying surgery before you have researched completely what the surgeon is going to do, and before you have gotten 2 more opinions, because surgery does NOT relieve pain. Surgery is ONLY to fix mechanical problems. Almost always, after surgery you are left with the same pain or worse. And you are never the same after surgery, so make sure you do your homework.

I wish you the very best. Please keep us posted on what happens, will you? We'd really like to know!! God bless and please take care. Hugs, Lee :)

Leesa , Thank you. I did post my EMG report on the perifial neuropathy forum if you want to take a peak at it.Also had a nerve & muscle biopsy done.The axons are sick and dying and they have no idea whats doing it. Yes we talked about surgery with cheif of neurosurgery and yes the cannel is narrow but no impengment and decided no surgrey..So for back pain i decided to go to P/T it help some.They have a Orthopedic surgen looking at it for a 2nd opion and a nerve/muscle spec as well.I'm thinking it in my lumbar thats doing all of this.I had a pretty bad back injury about 40yrs ago or maybe its from a med i took for my cholesterol. Yes i saw this on my mri and looks like i'm loosing fluid around the nerve root>Right side foraminal narrowing -- the foramen is the hole in which the nerves pass thru to get to the spinal cord.

Leesa, they don't think my back is the issue.They saw something in my nerve & muscle biopsys it has to do with my blood but with all the blood tests came back neg.Also which is odd i can sit down any given time for 15min or so and then stand up and you can hear my knees & ankles crack.I have a call to the Doc about the muscle biopsy report theres something there i didn't like what i read.

Billy you DO have issues in the SPINE. That's why you have drop foot! Your knees and ankles do NOT cause drop foot. Your spine causes that.

So ask your Neurosurgeon what his plan of action is going to be. You don't want drop foot to become permanent, right? Something in the spine is causing this.!!!

So ask for further tests or whatever needs to be done. This can't just be left "as is." Hugs, Lee ;)

You know thats what i'm thinking.I'm a dav so what i'm trying to is connect all the dots to start a claim.I'm also waiting on a 2nd opion and see a nerve&muscle spe.They found something with my blood in the muscle biopsy. Biopsy showed mild perivascular alkine phosphate staining was present(inflammatory product spillage) was present.Also Desmin related accumlations were also present
, raising the possibilty of a desmin-related myopathy but these are principally genetic and the family history is negative.The report is preliminary with the ultrastrastructural electron microscopic aspects pending.
Nerve biopsy was indicative of an axonal neuropathic process and no evidence of imflammation or vasculitis or amyloidosis.I know they sent 2 samples of of each and sent to 2 differant labs.
They feel that my foot drop is caused by my neuropthy and is idiopathic. Maybe another issue as far as my knees and ankles which is weird i can sit down at any given time for 10-15minutes as soon as i stand up you can hear them crack even as far away as 20ft away very lould at times. I know
I know i have alot more questions to ask and to find out is my drop foot is permnament and is it a truly a foot drop

I can't answer for sure, but I would think that the knees & ankles issue would have to do with ligaments & tissue, etc. But like I said, I don't really know. :confused: I know that many times my knees crack too, but it doesn't hurt.
Strange, isn't it?

Strange for sure.Next step to have the Doctor explain what exactly what they found in the biopsys and of course all the blood tests came back neg or normal.

Found out this morning i have to see a Neuromuscular Specialist.

Hey Billy = Let me know what you find out at that visit, will you? I'd appreciate it. Thanks. Hugs, Lee :)