Cervical fusions are most often considered to be the best and the only treatment option available for individuals who are suffering from degeneration of their spinal discs. When the protective cartilage between the discs disintegrates or starts to wear away, two pieces of the vertebrae will be fused together in efforts to prevent segments of bone from rubbing together when the patient attempts to make any sort of movement. It can easily help to ease any pain that the patient may be experiencing, but there are some risks associated with the procedure such as reduced flexibility of the spine. As a result, an ever increasing amount of doctors are turning towards artificial disk replacement in efforts to provide their patients with relief.
As the name suggests, an artificial disk replacement is the replacement of damaged or degenerated disks with an artificial material. The procedure is actually fairly new with it first being approved in 2004. With this procedure patients will not be having their vertebrae fused to one another, but simply having a disc replaced. It is actually quite similar to a traditional joint replacement surgery in which a joint is replaced with an artificial material in order to ease pain. The same exact school of thought applies to a cervical disc replacement.
A disc replacement surgery is ideal for those who are experiencing long term back or neck pain in relation to degenerative discs. In the vast majority of cases, it is an excellent alternative for anyone who is presently giving thought to potentially going through with a cervical fusion. A problem arise though due to the fact that many professionals would rather opt to go through with a traditional fusion as it is something they are more accustomed to and, as a result, much more in their comfort zone. However this isn’t to say that all surgeons will straight up refuse to perform an artificial disk replacement as that certainly is not the case.
The helpful folks at spine.md would be more than willing to assist you and help you decide if the artificial disk replacement is best for you as they want to ensure that they do everything in their power to get you back into tip top shape in no time. They will be able to make suggestions and prescribe the correct treatment plan for your specific set of needs. Spine MD strives to put your health first and is more than willing to perform an artificial disc replacement if they feel that it is in your best interest.