Orthopedic Consult – 5

Chief Complaint: Back and hip pain.

History of Present Illness: The patient is a 73 year old Caucasian male with a history of hypertension, end-stage renal disease secondary to reflux nephropathy / restriction of bladder neck requiring hemodialysis and eventual cadaveric renal transplant now on chronic immunosuppression, peripheral vascular disease with non-healing ulcer of right great toe, and peripheral neuropathy who initially presented to his primary care physician in May 2001 with complaints of low back pain and bilateral hip pain. The pain was described as a constant pain in the middle to lower back and hips. The pain was exacerbated by climbing stairs and in the morning after sleeping. He reported occasional radiation of pain from back into buttocks (greatest on the right side). He has history of chronic feet and leg numbness and paraesthesias related to his neuropathy, but he denied any recent changes in these symptoms in relation to the back pain. He denied any history of trauma. He was treated symptomatically with Acetaminophen with only some relief. He continued to complain intermittently of pain in his back and hips, and occasionally even in his elbows during the next 8 months. In January 2002, plain pelvic films showed no fracture or dislocation of the hips. Elbow films also showed no acute injury, but there were some erosions along the posterior aspect of the olecranon. An MRI was performed of his lumbar spine which showed degenerative disk disease, spondylosis, and annular bulging/herniation at L4-L5 with resultant encroachment on the neural foramen. He was evaluated by neurosurgery, who felt he should not have surgery at this time. His pain continued and progressively worsened, becoming unresponsive to medical therapy including narcotics

In May 2002, as part of a vascular work-up for the patient