What does a MRI mean if they say multilevel posterior disc osteophytes at c3-c4c4-c5 and c5-c6 which indent the anterior CSF column but do not flatten the cord?

Answer 1

Many patients are told that they have "bone spurs" in their back or neck, and many think that the bone spurs are the cause of their Back pain. However, bone spurs are just an indication that there has been degeneration of the spine. They really are not the actual cause of the back pain. The term "bone spurs" is really an accurate description, and the term "spurs" might suggest that these bony growths are pressing some part of the nerves or spinal cord and causing pain. Most of the time this isn't the case at all. Bone spurs are in fact smooth structures that form over a prolonged period of time. The medical term for bony spurs is osteophytes, and they represent an enlargement of the bony plate of the vertebras. Actually, they are a XRay marker of spinal degeneration (�Arthritis�) and are a normal finding as we age. Just about everyone over 40-50 has some (a lot of it depending on the "wear & tear" on the spine: type of job, genetics, weight, etc). In your case, this report says that the bony spurs are growing into the spinal canal and pressing on the sac that surrounds the spinal cord, but are not pressing on the spinal cord.

If an MRI was ordered they must suspect a disc issue. The discs won't show on the x-ray but an MRI they will. This is why they'll typically order an x-ray 1st, it's much cheaper and easier to do and you can see degeneration, like spurs and arthritis. You can also see the disc spaces. Either way you need to work on spinal alignment. This helps to slow the degenerative process and pull the discs back in place as much as possible.