WHAT IS DISC REPLACEMENT?
For some patients with degenerative disc disease, total disc replacement (TDR) may be a solution as an alternative to spinal fusion. Research into artificial disc replacement began in the 1960s due to complications sometimes caused by spinal fusion. Today artificial disc replacement surgery is covered by most insurance companies, and it has become the fastest growing procedure in spine.
The Surgical Procedure
The main goals of artificial disc replacement surgery are:
- maintain spinal balance & motion
- reduce adjacent level degeneration
- Allow patients to get back to the activities of daily living
To achieve these goals, the spine surgeon surgically removes the damaged disc and replaces the disc with an artificial disc.
Artificial disc replacement surgery can be performed in the cervical spine (neck), or in the lumbar spine (lower back region). Both procedures are performed though an anterior approach with the patient laying in the supine position which is face up on the surgical bed.
The surgeon begins the procedure by gaining access to the spine using a scalpel to make a small incision. The surgeon continues to cut methodically through each layer while safely retracting the muscle and the vessels, to eventually access the anterior of the spine and the diseased disc. The surgeon removes the diseased disc, and replaces it with the appropriately sized artificial disc.
A disc replacement device consists of two cobalt chrome endplates containing and articulating over a domed polyethylene core to restore stable motion to the spine. The clinical trials on disc replacement proved the effectiveness of this option—specifically a reduction in pain and improvement in a patient’s quality of life. Disc replacement is not appropriate for all patients. Please consult your physician to find out if this procedure is right for you.