Workers' Compensation Discussion Forums

I had an ACDF Valentine's Day.

Had my first x-ray yesterday.

I received the written report today and I have a question about it.
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The report reads:

There is an anterior plate with screws present at each level.

There is a bone plug within the disc space. There is persistent lucency between the bone plug and the adjacent vertebral endplates.
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My question is what is lucency and is this normal following cervical surgery?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Have a good day.

Lucency here usually means darkness, no bone seen.
You had grafted bone and it's still early in recovery. I would imagine that new bone has yet to grow around the screws and plates. I don't know how normal this is 5 weeks post operative. Something to ask your surgeon next week.

People heal at different rates, this may be perfectly normal.
Take care,
Bodybuilder1958

It means that the x-ray showed a space between the bone plug and the vertebrea. Which means that the bone marrow has not yet fused to the upper and lower vertebrea. It is nothing to worry about. I recall on my 6 month follow up, looking at the films of my spine and talking to the dr.. He pointed out that the bone marrow had not fused yet, but it was growing, I was able to see that thier was a very small space between the marrow and the vertebraes.

Thanks Bodybuilder & AQA, makes me feel a little better.

I did find one forum where the patient said there was lucency on her films at 3 months but at 9 months it wasn't there.

I am very fortunate to have a neurosurgeon who I trust and will ask him this question.

Bummer I remember with my first and second the surgeon said it can take up to a year to tell for sure on these surgreys