Hi,
Brand new year...glad to have found you!
I am a 55 year old woman who had 3 level acdf one year ago. Was doing great..only had mild numbness to right thumb, index and middle finger. 2 weeks ago began to experience return of intermittant numbness to underarm area, tricep, increased numbness to both hands as well as intermittant tingling in legs. Really worried. Any one else with similiar issues??

Feel I need another MRI. Really interested in hearing from others w/similiar experience.

I've had similar experience, but in the lumbar area. I would suggest that you definitely get an MRI with and without contrast material!! You need to be sure of what is or isn't going on in there!! That would scare me too. Hopefully it's nothing, but you need to find out.

Please let us know what you find out. Ask your doc as soon as possible so this doesn't have a chance to spread too much. God bless & take care. Hugs, Lee

Hello amk55, sorry you are having issues now, I knpow the feeling. I had a 3 level anterior cervical decompression and fusion C4/5 C5/6 C6/7 in Feb/09. Did you get an MRI's or xrays after your surgery. My neurosurgeon ordered 2-3 xrays and an MRI within the first year to make sure the fusion was taking and the plate stayed in place. With these tests it was discovered that C3/4 herniated and I have ostoephytes at C4/5, C5/6 and along with visits to a vascular surgeon, was recently diagnosed with TOS. I have constant severe pain with radiculpathy(bilateral). The pins and needles sensations and numbness drives me crazy and gives me clumsy hands, eggs are the worse thing to clean up off a floor. I hope you can get somes type of xray thur your doc.
Good Luck Bunz

This sounds similiar to my back story. Levels above and below the fusion are now bad, with more osteophyte formations, and i was also diagnosed with carpal tunnel, tennis elbow and TOS. It cold also be a double crush. I do not know why this happens after this surgery. And yet my EMG does not show cervical radiculopathy, the only that was picked up was carpal tunnel. My arms and hands hurt way more now than before the surgery. Martina

Hi Martina, I was also told I have carpel tunnel. My elbow/forearm pain(throbbing) is relentless and never ending, do your arms/hands feel heavy and weak also? It hurts just to lift my coffee cup. Like you the bilateral radiculopathy did not show on my EMG either, I just find this wierd as the pins/needles and numbness sensations is consistant. I believe the plate puts pressure on the discs above and below the fusion hence double crush syndrome crucrushsyndrome. I think an updated MRI is in order will have to ask my family Dr.

You should schedule an appt with your neurosurgeon ASAP. If you had a plate/screws with your fusion you can't get imaging studies by MRI because of the metal but can get CT or myelograms. He may order EMG to confirm radiculopathy as well. At any rate...follow-up with...the sooner the better.