instability of the neck any1 else | Arthritis Information

hi all a number of years ago i was sentto physio in the hydro pool
were i got very dizzy.. they took me from the pool and did some
percer tests on my neck i was then sent for xrays.. and told i have
a instability of the neck.. my neck now locks sometimes whn i bend
it foreward and i have to crack it very gently to unlock it ..i do not use a neck
brace .. just wonderd any 1 else have this and was surgery needed

Boney
i have this. I have a subluxation at c-1,c-2. Because of its location the risk of surgery is worse than the benefits until the subluxation hits 8 or 9 mm or unless there is neurological problems.

try and keep it moving. use a soft collar when necessary..and as my doctor told me avoid roller coasters and car accidents!!!

hi buckeye .. point taken about the roller coasters etc.. no futher xrays
have ever been taken and i have never been told exactly what is affected
awaiting dexa scan on neck and spine maybe this will throw a little light on it.
thanks for the tips ...Boney
I get x'rays done every year or before surgery whichever comes first. Usually its the surgery but if you already have an instability it needs to be monitoredmy thoughts exactly.. my treatment has been a little lapse to say the least..
it took a lot of complaining to get xrays done on my wrists and to find out
they are near fused and have osteoarthritis in them.. they have given me splints
and have a option to have the wrists replaced.. but ithink i will just let them
fuse themsevles.. do you get a lot of headaches.. not sure if there causd by he neck or
jaw.. as when i crack my jaw it releases the pressure... Boney

yep headaches are fairly normal unfortunately

make sure your wrists are in a usable position before you let them autofuse. There are things, esp personal hygeine, that you need a slight bend in the wrist for. Also with a surgicallly fused wrist they will be able to help maintain rotation which you generally lose with a autofuse. Its a BTDT type situation for me. Right wirst is autofused left is replaced..it was fusing wrong so since I needed surgery anyway I thought I would opt for the replacement instead of the fusion

hi buckeye.. scine you have both fusion and replacement.. which has given the
best long term result... iwas put off the replacement as over the long term they
may need further surgery or even fusing... so i opted for the easy rout of no
surgery and let them fuse... thanks foryour replies been very helpfull to
me.. Boney

Both areas that interest me....neck and wrists.

I've been looking at a disc replacement for C4-5 as I'm getting headaches and numbness down my neck and right arm when I bend down or lift anything. The disc isn't impinging on the spinal cord yet but it is almost there. I've been advised to get it done before it causes permanent weakness or damage. I see a surgeon next Friday. We'll see what he says.

I won't have it for a few months yet anyway cause I have hip surgery in 2 weeks and have to recover from that first because of being on crutches etc puts too much pressure on the neck and I should be well over the hip before I do anything on the neck.

As far as the wrist goes, my left wrist bones look like mashed potatoes on an x-ray. The right one is still OK. My knuckles and fingers are still OK for the moment but the left wrist is a real mess. I'll have to decide on a fusion or replacement one day in the not to distant future I think. I have read that it is best to have one replacement and one fusion. The fused wrist has some strength and the replaced one has some flexibility. Maybe by the time I need it they will have come up with a magical fix that gives you both.The replacement was done last November so it hasn't been long enough to judge it. I had some scar tissue that finally broke a couple of weeks ago and now I like it a bunch more (lol). I chose the replacement because some movement is better than none and if it failed the option is to fuse it. If I fused it I would have no options. I'm only 45 so I'm hoping that replacing now will allow for better technology when its time to revise. I did have to have surgery on the autofused wrist. I had the head of the ulna bone removed to allow for rotation and take pressure off my elbow. Other than that I've had no problems with the fused one.

As Pammy said replacing allows for movement but the wrist is weaker and less stable. The soft tissue has to be in good shape and no displacement of the wrist is allowed for replacement. Overall good bone stock is needed also since the bones are smaller than knees and hips. Surgeons prefer older patients because of the short life but since I met all the criterea and I've had a number of successful replacements we decided to go ahead

right got it ...fused=strengh replaced= movement.. and the long term hope for stronger
replacemets.. you have given me a new outlook on this .. and a lot to think about..
now i understand about the options better... when i first saw the surgeon they said
they will only replace a womans wrists ., as a mans grip is stonger and the joint
would not last long.. this position has now changed and i am now being offerd the
replacement.... as ..you say ..things are advancing all the time
thanks for the help buckeye
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