Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR)

In the past degenerative disc disease  or disc herniation often lead to surgery to remove the disc and fusion of the vertebra. The resulting elimination of the natural range of motion often resulted in further damage to adjacent discs. Over the past 15 years a breakthrough treatment for Degenerative Disc Disease has been developed in Europe known as Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) or Disc Arthroplasty. A disc prosthesis is implanted between the vertebra after removing the core of the damaged disc. Disc space is restored and range of motion is maintained limiting further damage. Disc Replacement can also be used to eliminate damage in adjacent discs where previous spinal fusion exists. Disc replacement surgery has proven successful as a treatment for both lumbar and cervical disc herniation and disc degeneration.

Disc Replacement or Disc Arthroplasty, as compared to other orthopedic disciplines, is the next evolutionary step in spine surgery. Disc Replacement is now commercially available in Europe and many other countries. FDA trials are underway and should be concluded within the next few years, although many Americans have been going to Germany, to avoid Spinal Fusion and get their Artificial Disc Replacement surgery for years.    

The Artificial Disc serves as a replacement for degenerative lumbar and cervical discs to alleviate pain and retain mobility of the affected spinal section. By maintaining mobility, damage to adjoining sections, often observed after fusion, has so far not been reported.
 

From 1987 until today several THOUSANDS patients worldwide have been operated on using the Artificial disc option.. 

The Concept of a Total Disc Replacement
Differing from current spine fusion techniques, artificial disc replacement is intended to maintain motion at the operative level once the damaged disc has been removed. Additionally, total disc replacement theoretically protects the discs at adjacent levels by sharing or distributing the stress during normal activities.
 

Replacement of painful arthritic joints is extremely common. For example, artificial hip and knee replacements are among the most successful and reliable operations performed today, with good results typically in over 90% of patients.

Since artificial hips and knees were introduced in the 1960’s, surgeons have explored the idea of prosthetic replacements for damaged or degenerated intervertebral discs both cervical and lumbar. As the intervertebral disc and its biomechanical behavior are very complex, the engineering an artifical disc replacement has been challenging.

The artificial disc is a prosthesis system consisting of two endplates made of high quality cobalt chromium alloy with an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene sliding core placed between them. Both of these materials are well tolerated by the body and are the same standardized implant materials that have been used in artificial hip and knee prostheses for the last 30 years.
 

Artificial Disc Replacement | Degenerative Disc Disease | Discectomy and Laminotomy | Discectomy with Fusion | Foraminal Stenosis | Cervical DDD

Internal Disc Disruption | Radicular pain of the neck |Treatment of Cervical Disc Disease | Jim's ADR story | SB Charite III | Lumbar DDD | Other Resourses