Facts about lumbar artificial disk replacement - By: LeenaM

Artificial disk replacement surgery was implemented in the mid and late 1980s in Europe as an alternative to spinal fusion. Since then, it has been clinically used for more than 20 years.

The first artificial disk was the Charite FDA approved disc of October 2004. Since then, it has been used for more than 10 years in lumbar artificial disk replacement surgery. Besides the Charite disc, the second FDA approved artificial disc for use in the US was the ProDisc, which was developed in the late 1980s and has been operational since then.

Different artificial discs

Both Charite and ProDisc artificial discs used in lumbar artificial disk replacement are made of similar materials; plastic and metal. These discs help produce the same motion of the disc, where at the most, you may find some biomechanical differences between the two.

In addition to this, there are several other devices awaiting FDA approval for artificial disk replacement like the Flexicore, Kineflex and Maverick. They are all metal-on-metal discs that may be used on the lumbar spine.

There are also some new generation disc replacement discs like the Axiomed Freedom lumbar disc that is made from compressed material that is similar to natural discs.

Low rate of complications

Though lumbar artificial disc replacement has been used extensively with a low rate of complications, there are still some insurance companies that consider that this procedure to be an experimental procedure.

Though there may be some variations in the different artificial discs, 90% of patients experience 50% reduction in pain after the surgery, along sixth 50% improvement in their functional activities. In addition to this, the results of lumbar artificial disk replacement are similar to the results of spinal fusion.

Advantages of lumbar artificial disk replacement

Many people opt for lumbar artificial disk replacement over spinal fusion as it leads to less biomechanical stress on the nearby discs. The success rate of this surgery is far better than the success rate of a spinal fusion. This is much better than the succession of spinal fusion operation where patients are restricted from their activities for 6 months or more.

Taking a look at all the benefits and advantages of lumbar artificial disk replacement, it is no wonder that there is an increasing number of patients opting for lumbar artificial disk replacement instead of spinal fusion.

About the Author

Lumbar artificial disk replacement can be crucial and needs to be done with a lot of care.To get the best treatment out there visit Orthopedic Spine Surgeons

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