Can't help you with info on what the report says. can you post what the MRI reading report says?

Fran

Findings- vertebral body height is maintained. The alignment is anatomical. Disc spaces are preserved. Signal intensity from the vertebral bodies is unremarkable is this a good result or bad.

From what you just posted, the report indicates that you do not have any spinal issues going on.

Is there any more detail in the report?

something like "Impressions" or specific detail on each level of the vertebrae?

Fran

Findings: Vertebral body height is maintained. The alignment is anatomical. Disc spaces are preserved. Signal intensity from the vertebral bodies is unremarkable.

AXIAL IMAGES AT THE L1-2 ARE REMARKABLE
AXIAL IMAGES AT THE L2-3 LEVEL ARE REMARKABLE
AXIAL IMAGE AT THE L3-4 LEVEL SHOW BROAD-BASED BULGING ANNULUS HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT COMPROMISE OF THE NEURAL FORAMINA IS NOTED. THERE IS SOME FACET JOINT HYPERTROPHY AND OR ARTHROPATHY NOTED.

IMPRESSION:
1. BROAD-BASED CIRCUMFERENTIAL BULGING ANNULUS L4-5 WITH ASSOCIATED FACET JOINT HYPERTROPHY RESULTING IN NARROWING OF THE NEURAL FORAMINA BILATERALLY
2. NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT ABNORMALITIES ARE NOTED.
3. NO SPINAL STENOSIS IS SEEN
4. THE CONUS TERMINATES IN A NORMAL POSITION AT APPROXIMATELY THE L1 VERTEBRA

QUESTION IS: DO I HAVE A BACK PROBLEM
QUESTION IS; IS THEIR SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY BACK.
GET BACK WITH ME ON THESE RESULTS A.S.A.P.

Yes you have a back problem but as far as what your MRI says its not as bad as most of the MRI's you see on this site.

Good thing is your MRI states you only have a problem at one level with no compression of the nerves being seen it says the neural foramina have not narrowed significantly (neural foramina are grooves in the vertebra that the nerve branches course out of) but it says nothing about the spinal canal i would assume that has not been narrowed either but it would be a good question to ask any specialist that you see.

you have some arthritis in your facet joints at this level they are a pair of small joints at the rear of the vertabra.

Good luck mlias

How much arthritis do I have? From what my specialist tells me that I have alot arthritis- but is it enough for me to be out of work. Becuase I haven't worked since my back started giving me problems. What is you sugguestion on what should I do with my back problem. Do you see me with a back problem?

i should say that littleonefb was correct the brief abstract that you first posted indicated no problems at all with your spine in case there was some confusion.


your MRI doesn't seem to indicate a lot of arthritis but it would be silly of me to contradict any professional who has examined you and seen your films. Did you type your MRI report out word for word.

AS for the rest of you questions i cannot answer them but i can say that many people suffer from severe pain even though there x rays and MRI's reveal nothing at all. MRI's sometimes fail to pick up minor faults with soft tissues and the vertebra. Doctors also can ignore mild cases of conditions like scoliosis which is a sideways bending of the spine. The practice of diagnosing and treating back conditions is far from complete or perfect. However MRI's are a great tool that doctors can use to get a lot of good information about the condition of your spine, your MRI is typical of this.

When you ask " do you see me with a back problem " i think what your MRI says indicates that you do have a problem either this is the cause of your pain or it is the result of another underlying problem.

Have you ever been in a car accident or suffered from a bad fall if you have this might be the cause of your problem at your L4-l3 joint.


good luck mlias

"1. BROAD-BASED CIRCUMFERENTIAL BULGING ANNULUS L4-5 WITH ASSOCIATED FACET JOINT HYPERTROPHY RESULTING IN NARROWING OF THE NEURAL FORAMINA BILATERALLY "

This would appear to be a possible problem causing your pain. This could result in some nerve compression that may or may not appear on the MRI pics.

It's also important to remember that the reading of your MRI is just that, a reading, an opinion by a radiologist that interprets what he sees.

It is quite possible and quite common that if your pics where reviewed by another radiologist, that the reading would or could be different.

It's also not uncommon for a spine surgeon to look at the pics and see something different or more than the radiologist sees, as well.

MRI is just one of many tools that a good spine surgeon will use to aid in diagnosis, but it should never be the only tool used.

Examination is important and attempt to match the symptoms of the patient with what is seen on the MRI pics.

If that can't be done, then the spine surgeon should do further testing to help to determine the cause of the patient's pain.

Good luck

Fran