Artificial Disk Replacement

by John Johnson, M.D.

Neck pain is one of the most common medical problems, affecting eight out of ten people at some point during their lives. With today’s advancements in surgical technologies, spine surgeons are now able to perform minimally invasive procedures resulting in better patient outcomes.

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MINIMALLY INVASIVE

One medical procedure on the cutting edge in spine surgery is artificial disc replacement. Artificial disc replacement is an alternative to traditional spine surgery procedures such as bone grafts and disc fusion. Similar to a knee replacement, artificial disc replacement substitutes a mechanical device for a damaged disc in the spine. The implanted device imitates the normal function of the degenerated disc by restoring motion to the spine. Artificial disc replacement is typically performed on patients with cervical disc herniation and/or osteophytes (bone spurs) which compress adjacent nerves of the spinal cord. Damaged cervical discs are most common between the C4-5, C5-6, or C6-7 levels of the vertebrae. Symptoms may include radiating arm pain, arm weakness or numbness accompanied with some degree of neck pain. There are several potential benefits of a cervical disc replacement over cervical fusion. Disc replacement surgery can reduce recovery time, allowing patients to return to their normal activities much faster. Disc replacement surgery preserves the normal disc space height and movement between the vertebral bodies. The preservation of motion may potentially decrease the long term risk of adjacent level disc degeneration. The most important predictor of success with an Anterior Cervical surgery is the selection of appropriate patients for surgical intervention.

If you or a loved one is suffering from neck pain, education and treatment of this problem is available through SportsMed’s Spine Center Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical physician partners.

John Johnson , M.D. Orthopaedic Spine Neuro at SportsMED 4715 Whitesburg Drive

Huntsville, AL 35802 256.881.5151 www.sportsmedalabama.com