[jss]

Zen,

Condolences on being here, but welcome. You'll find a lot of lumbar experience on here. While we're not doctors, we can take a shot at your questions; but we're better at sharing our relevant experiences.

I've never heard of a fusion "breaking" or becoming problematic because of an activity. Yes it it know to cause adjacent disc disease, as it appears to have in your case, but I rather doubt you've done anything to your fusion.

According to your 2011 radiology report you have "broad based disc herniation" and "mild facet hypertrophy with mild foraminal narrowing". Your report doesn't say if such is the case, but those two often team up to compress the root nerve as it exits the spinal column; in your case at L4/5. That foraminal narrowing is a common cause of sciatica; but only diagnostic tests can determine if that is probably the sole cause of your sciatica. A discogram and/or an epidural steroid injection is often used to determine if the disc is the pain generator. I don't now what test is used to test the facet.

There are many lumbar ADRs, but the M6 and ProDisc get the most attention on this site.

I would encourage you to defer surgery as long as you can. As you've noted, waiting too long can result in permanent nerve damage and damage to other structures. Unfortunately it is often not possible to know when too late is until you've waited too long.

Good luck, Jeff