Description

This is a soft tissue injury to the muscles and just as orthopaedic surgeons have replaced worn-out hips, knees, and other joints in the body, now they have the technology to replace worn-out discs in the lower back (lumbar spine) and neck (cervical spine).

​

These artificial discs are in variable stages of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

​

Although European surgeons have implanted artificial discs in the spine for several years with good results, many of the implant devices are still being tested in the U.S.A.

​

Symptoms which might lead one to require disc replacement surgery:

• Neck or back pain localized to only one or two degenerated or herniated discs

• Younger patients who may not want to undergo spinal fusion

• Symptomatic patients who want to maintain the range of motion of their spine

​

Traditional Surgery

• Historically, spinal surgeons treated certain disc herniations or degenerated discs with disc removal and fusion (welding together of 2 spinal bones).

• Although the success rate has been greater than 90%, many surgeons are concerned that the fusion in one spinal area may accelerate the development of a disc problem at another level. Hypothetically, and with some promising results, disc replacement surgery may slow down or prevent the development of another problem.

​

Possible Treatment Options

Surgical Procedure

The disc replacement is performed through the front of your spine.

​

After careful removal of most of the disc, an artificial disc replacement prosthesis is placed between the vertebral bones.

​

The prosthesis is usually a combination of metal and very hard plastic.

​

Not everyone is a suitable candidate for DISC Replacement. Conditions such as osteoporosis and severe arthritis could potentially produce poor results.

​

For more information on Disc Replacement, visit UnderstandSpineSurgery.com.