Top-Trained Spine Surgeons Advise on CentersforArtificialDisc.com When to Consider Artificial Disc Replacement in 2021
By Admin | January 18, 2021
If you've been told you have a herniated disc, you probably have also been told you need a spinal fusion, which up to a year ago has been the traditional treatment for herniated discs. However, that advice for a spinal fusion — especially in the neck — no longer applies, according to Sanjay Jatana, MD, a fellowship-trained cervical spine specialist in Denver, who is featured on the educational website CentersForArtificialDisc.com.
"The most current spine research from the North American Spine Society has shown that artificial disc replacement can reduce the need for additional surgery at other levels in the neck," explains Dr. Jatana. "With spinal fusion, you are locking two vertebrae together. Fusion unfortunately puts extra stress on the discs above and below. The result can be an accelerated degeneration of the adjacent levels caused by spinal fusion. With an artificial disc, you are preserving motion which lessens the risk to other disc levels. This is especially important in the neck as you only have six disc levels to maintain needed motion."
Artificial disc surgery — also referred to as motion preservation surgery — has rapidly evolved with new implants that replicate the rotation and shock absorption function of the healthy disc. The FDA has approved several artificial discs for use at two levels in the...(More)
For more information please read, Top-Trained Spine Surgeons Advise on CentersforArtificialDisc.com When to Consider Artificial Disc Replacement in 2021, by PRNewswire
