The best thing you can do is contact your doctor and tell him/her what is going on.

Did you have BMP used with your fusion? If so, it is possible that there is bone overgrowth that can happen with the use of BMP and there is new bone growth in the wrong place and it is compressing nerves.

But, like I said, you need to call your doctor and possibly have a CT done to see about the progress of your fusion and if anything is amiss.

Fran

I'm not actually quite sure if I had BMP. What exactly is it?

I am actually going to see my surgeon on Friday for an xray and such, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything turns out to be alright. The sharpness of the pain has luckily died down a bit, though it is still there, and now I am feeling almost a grinding-type sensation in one particular spot. Guess I'll see in a few days. Thanks!

BMP is only FDA approved last time I checked for Anterior (Approach through the front) spinal fusions. I broke my rod at age 22 after about 4 and a half years of having it implanted (pseudoarthrosis leading to rod breakage- aka hardware failure). My first fusion was done with an anterior approach from the mid thoracic to mid lumbar spine... a pretty big area to fuse to begin with- and 1 rod for this whole area through the right side of my rib cage (collapsing my lung, breaking out ribs and all that lovely stuff) using ribs for bone graft. My surgeon at the time, just like the one I have now was excellent but unfortunately I was young and dumb, which resulted in not following post op instructions leading to all these problems just a few years later. When my rod snapped, I felt a disgusting crack in my chest when i sneezed one day and it knocked the wind out of me- that's a pretty noticeable symptom. I figured I broken a rib, but after a month of severe side and back pain an x-ray showed a clear rod fracture resulting in a reinforcement surgery. The only reason the rod broke was because it failed to fuse the first time. The 2nd surgery to repair only the area where the rod snapped, was a big success thanks to a wonderful doctor and the desire to actually adhere to a post op plan. I'm getting another weak spot fixed this summer and I have full confidence in my surgeon. My main symptoms of problems involving my hardware was a crunchy sharp pain when I'd move most directions in the area of the weak spot and feeling achey pain as my ribs would spread in the said area (the 2nd being with the most recent weakness).

At < 1 year you probably will still have plenty of post op pain with activity or even lack of it. At a next appointment, looking into an xray or CT scan might not hurt if your physician feels it's necessary. I just hope you didn't make the same mistake I did and smoked cigarettes after your fusion. The continuation of my smoking was the prime reason for all the complications even now and failed fusion. If you have to go back in to surgery, make sure you're smoke free and a healthy fusion will be much easier to come by =)

After I had a spinal fusion ,one of the spacers fell out and for several weeks I had a horrific sharp pain when I lay down or sometime sat down. They finally went in and removed it and the pain, at least the really sharp pain went away. I still have awful pain down both legs and FEET! I wish it would all go away and now it's been 2 years. But now I hear a clicking in my lower back and wonder what it is? hummmmmmmmmm

If you are not seeing the same spine surgeon that did your fusion, you should get a second opinion from someone outside the practice that did your spine surgery.

It sounds like you are having nerve pain still, 2 years after your spine fusion.

I will ask you the same question. Do you know if they used BMP/ bone morphogenic protein with you fusion. If they did, then it may be that you are suffering from bone overgrowth from he BMP pressing on nerves.

Either way, you need to get all of your records, pre surgery tests, x-rays, MRI anything that you had done prior to the surgery. Then you need to get any and all post surgery x-rays and any other tests, also all the surgical notes and post op info as well.

Get that together and get a second opinion from another spine surgeon and do it as fast as you can.

Good luck

Fran

I still have pain in both of my legs and feet after a fusion 3 yrs ago. it's permenant nerve damage. i did have some sharp pain 6 months after surgery. It was due to a bone stimulator(battery) that had slipped down and was pressing on my spine.

I had a PLIF Posterior Interbody Lumbar Fusion) with BMP and Formagraft of 2 levels L4-S1 approx 1 year ago. I still have pain although it had decreased somewhat after surgery and months of aquatic and regular PT. I recently had a CT Scan which showed a "lesion" and overgrowth of bone which has now obliterated the neural foramina t L4 and L5. I still have some numbness on outside of left calf and foot and still take long acting narcotics. I felt I was improving until I started to have a pain in my left mid buttock area which is very sharp. '

Has anyone else suffered from bone overgrowth.