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November 18, 2009 - 2:45pm
Discectomy and disc height
I was wondering, anyone that has had a discectomy and an MRI post-op how much disc height were you left with? Just wondering what the average post-op disc height is. My disc looks to be half the height of the rest of my spine.
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it's common for them to measure this. Your annulus (ring around the disc) will generally maintain most of your disc height unless it is too damages. If you watch some of the fusion procedures, you can see they usually leave some annulus in to contain the bone grafts. So, it will depend on whether your annulus is damaged, how thick that particular disc is in the average human body, how thick it was originally in your body (does anyone know), etc.
Linda
3 level 360 degree lumbar fusion (L3-S1) November 2008
Since ive had surgery I have just wondered how much disc height I lost. I started thinking since the disc is shorter the vetabrae openings for my l4/5 nerves have been narrowed. Im just worrying about the unknown. I thought about getting my pre-op MRI, I already have a copy of my post-op MRI. I thought I would compare the two for my own obsessive compulsion of constantly reading back surgery related info HA.
Humm....The first thing I remember as I came out of the happy juice after surgery was "Hi you are 1mm taller than before surgery!" Now...I have gotten a copy of both of my surgical notes. They put a 10mm graph in my C5/6, and a 7mm graph in my C6/7...dunno. But personally, I am still 5'3"!
Brenda
ACDF C5/6 2/08 - C6/7 8/09 - Neuropathy right arm and both legs - Cervical Myelopathy
10-11-11 PCF C4-T2 - C4-C7 Lamies; Surgery #2 Emergent removal large Hematoma!
L2/3/4 & L5/S1 fusions and Laminectomy on hold till neck fused.
For the full "Cliff Notes" please click my name!
"Life can knock us down, but we can choose whether or not to get up!!"
pictures of before and after, perhaps your doc can measure them for you and tell you. I didn't think about that.
Linda
3 level 360 degree lumbar fusion (L3-S1) November 2008