Can someone explain my MRI results?
 

Hi Experts :)

What do these notes from Radiology mean in laymans terms?

C5-C6: There are posterio endplate hypertrophic changes eccentric towards the right, with slight effacement of the right ventral aspect of the thecal sac, and narrowing the procimal aspect of the right neural foramen. The left neural foramen is patent.

C6-C7: There is also mild endplate hypertrophic changes and broad based disc herniation/spur slight effacing the right ventral aspect of the thecal sac without central canal stenosis. Slight narrowing of the right neural foramen is seen.

IMPRESSION:

1) Spontylotic changes as noted above, particularly at the C5-C6 and C6-C7 levels resulting in right neural foraminal stenosis. No evidence of dentral canal stenosis or cord compression.

Thank you

At 5-6 bone growth is narrowiing where the nerve roots exit. The thecal sac is what surrounds the spinal cord. You don't have contact or indentation of the cord at 5-6

At 6-7 where the disks attach there is bone growth and the space the nerve root exists the foramin is narrowing.

A chiropractor can give you a better explanation that I or your surgeon can.

My guess is that you don't need any surgery but if you do do with a minimal percutaneous approach.

The reason for the MRI was to identify possible causes of bodywide muscle twitching, peripheral neuropathy symptoms and strange nerve sensations.

Does any of the above (despite what doctors may assume) play a role in this? I see two mentions of abnormal growth in the location where nerves are .... and even though they did not see any contact while I was laying prostrate .... the spine is a moving thing, and different positions may very well elicit contact.

Thoughts?

Have a standing MRI. See a chiropractor for a consult. Some do it for free.

Sometimes a disk under load will bulge. You could also have weak ligaments.

I usually look at the adjectives instead of the pathology noted. Most people in their 50's or 60's will have MRI's that sound much worse... even people with no symptoms.

I'll be surprised if your doctors get too excited about the MRI. No smoking gun there???

What I see in your report is slight, mild, slight.

You are correct. The spine is a dynamic system and the MRI is a static image of you laying in a neutral position. Have they looked at t-spine and brain? Even with no smoking gun, it is often difficult to get the doctors motivated to look for less likely causes.

Good luck... please keep us posted. All the best,

Mark

Thanks for the feedback -

Im pretty proactive with my health, so I wanted to ask you guys - i am 38 years old and .... well fortunate enough to have "early and slight" on an MRI ... is there anything I can do, daily, that will reverse what is starting, or dramatically reduce its progression?

I see arthritis being mentioned and degenerative disk disease .... they wont be slight or beginning stages forever. So what can I do so Im not the 78 year old guy in constant back pain?

Increase your fitness, core strength and flexibility, but do it smartly.... don't go nuts on activities that will flare you up or you'll just be fighting yourself. Ab and trunk strength is key for lumbar problems. Work on your posture if needed. If you are overweight fix that. Imagine if you back really hurts and someone gives you a 40 pound backpack to carry around all day.

It's nice to see someone here who (hopefully) won't be headed down our path.... spine surgery is better in theory than in practice.

Mark

My posture is terrible but im pretty certain its a result of my extremely short collar bone. (this may sound absurd but its a known phenomenon that longer collar bones result in better posture whereas short ones tend to draw the shoulders forward).

In any case, I have a feeling that my beginning stage issues mentioned above are *because* of my fitness. I've been very physically active and I think it creates wear and tear. Maybe if anything I need to tone it down a bit.

IMHO, being physically active makes you fit. My father has a bad back. My brother has a bad back. I truly believe that if I was not so active (soccer 6 days a week, including lots of goalkkeeping, skydiving, rock climbing, scuba, etc....) I would have been a spiney much sooner. My first MRI was in 1988 showing degenerated L4-5 and L5-S1. I did not treat for almost 10 years of intense activity... only after getting rear-ended on the freeway on the way to work, did spine become my life.

Good luck...

Mark

Can Someone translate My MRI results to plain English?
 

Report:
MRI, lumbar spine

Unenhanced multisequence data acquisition was followed by soft copy review of multiple image series.

Comparison(s): Lumbar radiographs, 7/31/2015

Note: Standard anatomical configuration, with five lumbar vertebral bodies, is assumed, as numbered on the exam and reported for the current study.

Findings:

A small oval-shaped left renal lesion is seen, probably representing a cyst, but is not fully imaged or assessed by this exam.

Slight anterior wedging of the T12 and L1 vertebral bodies appears nonacute and is suspected to be congenital/developmental.
Small Schmorl's nodes are shown. Probable L1 vertebral body hemangioma. Overall vertebral marrow pattern grossly unremarkable. Normal-appearing conus termination. Multilevel disc desiccation noted, with relative reservation of hydration at L3-4.

Hypertrophic facet arthropathy and ligamentum flavum enlargement are mild to moderate overall, generally greatest inferiorly; note is made of minimal, grade 1 retrolisthesis of L4 on L5; these factors contribute to stenotic disease.

L1-2: Minimal annular bulging and anterior thecal sac flattening with gross neuroforaminal patency.

L2-3: Essentially unremarkable.

L3-4: Minimal foraminal position disc protrusions bilaterally. L3 neuroforaminal narrowing is minimal/mild on the right and mild-to-moderate on the left.

L4-5: Mild generalized annular bulging with minimally accentuated foraminal position disc protrusions. Slight anterior thecal sac flattening. Mild-to-moderate L4 neuroforaminal narrowing bilaterally.

L5-S1: Mild generalized annular bulging with suggested tiny annular fissure, with an accompanying minimal focal disc protrusion, in the left foraminal position. Moderate L5 neuroforaminal narrowing bilaterally.

Impression:

Stenotic abnormalities, detailed above, result from a combination of facet hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum enlargement, limited discal displacement, hypertrophic endplate changes and, at L4-5, minimal spondylolisthesis. Please see the above report, to include the level by level description.

Small left renal lesion, possibly a cyst but not fully assessed by this exam. Other findings/details per report.