Disc Implant Replaces Spinal Fusion

A new artificial disc implant shows promise for alleviating disc-related lower back pain while eliminating the need for spinal fusion.

The disc implant is being evaluated in 13 US centers currently for replacing discs damaged by degeneration, bulging, herniation, or thinning. Surgeons are comparing the safety and effectiveness of the implant to spinal fusion surgery. Spinal fusion remains controversial because the ability of bone to heal or fuse can vary, according to doctors at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center (USA). Also, the procedure can cause stiffness and decreased motion in the spine and more stress to be transferred to adjacent levels of the spine. As a result, not all patients have a successful outcome.

The disc implant, called Prodisc, is suitable for patients with degenerative disc disease at one or two levels of the spine. Patients should be between the ages of 18 and 60 and are eligible if they have failed at least six months of conservative therapy. Prodisc has two porous plates, with stabilizing keels that integrate into adjacent vertebrae, and a polyethylene ball-bearing core. The core functions on a ball-and-socket principle to fulfill the role of healthy discs, which permit limited motion and flexibility while maintaining stability in specific segment of the spine. Prodisc is the product of Spine solutions, Inc. (New York, NY, USA).

"In European clinical trials, the implant alleviated disc-related lower back pain while maintaining spine mobility and eliminated the need for fusion of the lower spine,” said David S. Bradford, M.D., USCF professor of orthopedic surgery and lead investigator.






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