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Has anyone had their si joint fusion screws removed and were the holes

Posted by maggieflorida @maggieflorida, Jun 5, 2025

I have to have the screws removed from a previous si joint fusion due to constant pain from the screw. Has anyone had to remove their sij hardware and did they have the bone holes filled with medical cement?

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jason0557 | @jason0557 | Dec 19, 2025

Did you ever have your si joint fusion hardware removed?

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bilt4pain | @bilt4pain | Dec 20, 2025

It seems I’m the only one that had SI fusion without screws. For me, they drilled 2 Sets of holes, but used bone harvested from my iliac crest to custom make bone plugs for my SI fusion. So far so good.

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Ann and Kitty | @annandkitty | Dec 21, 2025

I had my SI joint rod and screws removed about 10 years ago after scoliosis surgery. The screws moved and were sticking out at the joint. The pain was awful from the screw before removed. I do not know if holes were filled. I do have a dent in my back at that joint where the hardware was removed. That area will flare at times but not as bad as the pain from the screw before removal. Ask you dr if he fills that holes. I don't know..

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mrmacabre | @mrmacabre | Dec 21, 2025

When I had my second spinal fusion procedure done at the C7-T1 level, it was about 18 months after my first surgery, at the C5-C6 level. The bone graft that they used was completely fused, so during the operation they removed the screws and plate at that level. My neurosurgeon told me that the holes would fill in by themselves. That was over 7 years ago with no issues.

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Ann and Kitty | @annandkitty | Dec 31, 2025
In reply to @annandkitty "I had my SI joint rod and screws removed about 10 years ago after scoliosis surgery...." + (show)
Profile picture for Ann and Kitty @annandkitty

I had my SI joint rod and screws removed about 10 years ago after scoliosis surgery. The screws moved and were sticking out at the joint. The pain was awful from the screw before removed. I do not know if holes were filled. I do have a dent in my back at that joint where the hardware was removed. That area will flare at times but not as bad as the pain from the screw before removal. Ask you dr if he fills that holes. I don't know..

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@annandkitty My exact story. The pain before the removal was not tolerable. I have no idea if holes were filled but I do have a dent and occasional pain. I get injections from you pain dr.

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scampano3 | @scampano3 | Jan 2 8:34am
In reply to @mrmacabre "I've had spinal fusion procedures done at the C5-C6 and C6-C7 levels in my neck. The..." + (show)
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I've had spinal fusion procedures done at the C5-C6 and C6-C7 levels in my neck. The surgeries were done about a year and a half apart by 2 different neurosurgeons at 2 different hospitals because my first doctor retired. When they did the C5-C6 fusion, they used a piece of bone from a cadaver, along with a plate and screws.
When the second surgery was done, they did the same thing, and they removed the plate and screws from the first surgery because the bones were fused together, so they were no longer necessary.
I would assume the holes would fill in with new bone as time goes on, they didn't say that anything else was necessary. It's been 7 years now with no new issues so far.

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@mrmacabre I agree. I ended up having screws removed from L4-S1 after the fusion was solid. The bone continues to grow and fill-in the holes left by the missing hardware. I wouldn't fill them in with medical cement at all. Leave it be. Cutting through the muscle again will only make the pain worse.

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