Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement
An Overview
In order to treat intervertebral disc herniations or degenerative disc disease, discectomy (removal of the disc) is often necessary to treat the resulting pain and/or neurologic symptoms that are being caused by the diseased or injured disc.
As the name implies, an artificial disc prosthesis is designed in such a way that it imitates normal anatomy. Dr. Akamnonu has over a decade of experience in performing his disc replacement surgery, so you can be assured you are in good hands.
Intervertebral discs have three important functions:
Absorb Shock
The disc has cushioning properties that help make it possible for the spinal column to compress and rebound during vigorous activity.
Maintain SpaceBetween Vertebrae
Discs not only prevent bone from grinding against bone, but also maintain the normal healthy physiologic distance between vertebrae so that nerve roots can exit from spinal canal freely and without compression or irritation.
Permit Motion
The spine would be a rigid column of vertebrae without the motion of the intervertebral discs. Intervertebral discs give flexibility to the spine, which allows for a full range of motion e.g., forward and backward, side-to-side.
of meningitis – a condition that requires urgent medical attention.
What is Total DiscReplacement (TDR) Surgery?
Discs may become damaged due to genetic predisposition, every day wear-and-tear, and the natural aging process. degenerative disc disease can be treated using conservative approaches, such as medication, physical therapy and injections. If these methods are unsuccessful in relieving pain, surgery may be recommended.
Other patients will suffer from disc degeneration or injuries to the spine that result in disc herniations that pinch or compress the spinal nerves. Removal of the intervertebral disc may be necessary to properly treat these disc herniations and the resulting neurologic symptoms.
Spinal fusion has long been the standard treatment for degenerative disc disease or discs that require removal to treat disc herniations.
This procedure connects two or more vertebrae together so they move as one cohesive unit.
The individual bones are caused to grow together to become one bone. While necessary treatment for some patients, such a procedure may contribute to the degeneration of adjacent discs and is necessarily associated with some loss of motion and flexibility.
An alternative to conventional spinal fusion surgery is the advent of total disc replacement (TDR) surgery. TDR surgery can be used to treat degenerative disc disease (DDD) in the lumbar spine and of symptomatic cervical disc disease (SCDD) in the cervical spine. Total disc replacement surgery is intended to relieve pain and preserve motion in the spine.
The Procedure
During both disc replacement surgery and spinal fusion, the pain-generating disc is removed and the intervertebral disc height is restored. For those patients who undergo spinal fusion surgery, the spinal segment is then stabilized with an implant and plate and/or rods and screws. Bone graft is commonly used to promote fusion of the bones. For those patients who undergo disc replacement, a specialized prosthetic device is implanted between vertebrae that allows for potential motion. Since no two patients are the same, our disc replacement surgical plan and procedure will be explained in great detail during consultation.
An artificial disc usually replaces the annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus, and the endplates, depending on the type of device. The cervical (neck) or lumbar (lower back) are most commonly treated with disc replacement surgery. The procedure will move through the front of the neck for cervical discs and through the abdomen for lumbar discs.
Am I a Candidate?
Not all cases of degenerative disc disease or disc herniation need disc replacement. In addition, not all patients are candidates for disc replacement surgery. Dr. Akamnonu understands emerging technologies and is qualified to determine when disc replacement is a suitable treatment option. In general, the ideal candidate:
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Degenerative disc disease or disc herniation that doesn’t respond to conservative treatment
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Limited arthritis of the nearby spinal joints
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Good bone mineral density
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Has one or two damaged discs
Patients with advanced arthritic changes, significant osteoporosis, and substantial instability are not considered candidates.
Benefits
The potential benefits of disc replacement include:
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Elimination of the degenerated or herniated disc as a pain generator
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Restoration of intervertebral disc height
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Decompression of neural structures
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Motion preservation
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Slowing degeneration of the discs above and below the affected disc
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Relatively swift return to normal activity
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Surgery can usually be performed as an outpatient / same-day surgery (cervical)
What is the Expected Recovery Time?
Cervical Disc replacement is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Lumbar Disc replacement requires a hospital stay of one to three days. During your stay, physical therapists and occupational therapists will help you learn how to walk and get in and out of bed safely. You will need to avoid bending at the waist, lifting more than five pounds, and twisting for the first two to four weeks.
Most patients are able to return to desk work within two to three weeks, depending on the progress of healing. However, you will be advised to wait about three months before resuming light physical activity. Patients should avoid heavy lifting, strenuous physical activity, and impact sports moving forward after having undergone disc replacement.
Types of Disc Replacements
Prodisc-C
For patients who require a total cervical disc replacement and who qualify, Prodisc-C is an advanced option that has several key benefits over other TDR and spinal fusion procedures. It has been performed over 125,000 times with less than 1% re-surgery outcomes. Prodisc-C is specifically designed to be a very straightforward procedure that does not require bone grafts, fusion or additional hardware other than the device itself.
Medtronic Prestige LP
Typically addressed with spinal fusion, Medtronic Prestige LP cervical disc system preserves mobility and allows for the motion of a natural disc, including flexion, extension, side bending and rotating.
Mobi-C Cervical Disc
The Mobi-C cervical disc is one of the most widely used cervical discs in the world. Mobi-C allows its polyethylene core to slide and rotate inside the disc for self-adjustment to spine movements and provides bone sparing fixation without it cutting into the vertebral bodies of the spine.
M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc
One of the newest artificial cervical disc designs, the M6-C artificial cervical disc device is an innovative option for patients diagnosed with Cervical Disc Herniation, Cervical Disc Degeneration, or Degenerative Disc Disease.