Disc Replacement
Disc replacement
What is it?
Your discs are like small gel-filled cushions between your vertebrae. They help your spine move flexibly and serve as shock absorbers when you’re walking or exercising.
Unfortunately, discs commonly wear down over the years, often leading to pain as the vertebrae above and below the disc rub together.
Discs can also bulge (push out of their normal position) or herniate, in which the disc cracks and leaks gel into the spinal canal to pressure nerves or the spinal cord.
Disc replacement – also known as disc arthroplasty – is a procedure that restores healthy and pain-free neck and back movement using a state-of-the-art artificial disc system.
Disc replacement surgery removes a damaged or worn intervertebral disc and replaces it with an artificial disc. Disc replacement surgery resolves pain and restores normal spine flexibility at the same time.
Alternative to fusion surgery
Restoring natural movement
Dr. Washington performs disc replacement on the lumbar (lower back) spine, as well as the cervical (neck) spine as an alternative to fusion surgery because it provides patients numerous benefits, including preserving the motion of the spine. The artificial disc replicates the natural movement in the spine by duplicating the rotational function of the discs we were born with. Most artificial disc designs have plates that attach to the vertebrae and a rotational component that fits between these fixation plates. These components are typically designed to withstand stress and rotational forces over long periods of time.
The Procedure
During this procedure, a small incision is made through which the injured disc and any associated bone spurs are removed. The injured disc is then replaced with an artificial disc that is designed to replicate the natural motion of the spine in that area.
Recovery
For many patients, disc replacement is an excellent alternative to spinal fusion because it allows the spine to maintain normal motion. Other benefits include:
- Eliminates the complications and issues sometimes associated with fusion
- Reduces the chance of degenerative disc disease in adjacent joint(s)
- There is no bone graft requirement
- Quicker recovery and return to work or activity
- Less invasive and less painful
- Less blood loss
After surgery, patients not only find their pain is relieved, but they can eventually return to many of the activities they once enjoyed since artificial disc replacement preserves the spine’s ability to bend, flex, and rotate.
