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Prognosis of progression of degeneration of spine
I have had cervical spine fusions at levels 4-5-6-7. I have a history of scoliosis, degenerative disk disease and a whiplash injury from a rear end collision in 2001. I had my first fusion in May 2003 at C6-7 level. My neurosurgeon at that time (74 years old) told me that at the rate my neck was deteriorating that I would be lucky to get two years before needing a corpectomy at 3-4-5-6. He only offered that information after I insisted on an answer. He was close. In January 2006 I had a corpectomy on C4-5-6 and a revision on the C6-7 by a younger neurosurgeon. I'm a registered nurse and I know that my new symptoms are pointing to further degeneration. I have chronic pain that is now being attributed to fibromyalgia. My question is this: Is there any way to accurately predict the rate of degeneration of the remaining disks in my neck? I would like to do a little travelling before I end up in a wheelchair or dead. I know that my older neurosurgeon was able to answer my question due to his many years of experience but my younger one doesn't seem to be willing (or able) to give me any information on my prognosis. Is there anyway of "guesstimating" how long my neck will hold out based on the information I have given you?
-- plaun
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