How Artificial Discs Mimic Natural Disc Function

If you suffer from a disc condition that makes moving painful like degenerative disc disease or a herniated disc, you may have been told that you need a spinal fusion. This isn’t necessarily true. In fact, in many cases, damaged spinal discs of both the lumbar and cervical region of the spine can be replaced with artificial discs. The surgery involved is often called artificial disc replacement or total disc replacement. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Artificial Disc Replacement?

Simply put, artificial disc replacement is a less invasive alternative to spinal fusion that helps restore spinal stability and alleviate pain for most patients.

Disc replacement is done anteriorly. This means that while lying on your back, an incision is made into either your abdomen (for lumbar disc replacement) or the front of your neck (for cervical disc replacement).

The disc that requires replacement is removed and an artificial disc is then inserted.

General anesthesia is administered for both cervical and lumbar disc replacement.

How Artificial Discs Mimic Natural Movement

The discs in your spine are like the shock absorbers on your bike or car, providing cushion when standing and moving around and alleviating pressure.

When used to replace natural spinal discs, artificial spinal discs restore range of motion and mimic the natural movement of a healthy disc.

This is not the case with spinal fusion, which fuses two segments of the spine together, thereby limiting range of motion.

In fact, this is one of the major benefits of artificial cervical disc replacement and lumbar disc replacement when compared to fusion, as we explain in our informational page on disc replacement surgery:

“For many people, disc replacement surgery is preferable to fusion surgery because replacing the disc preserves the mobility of the spine at the affected site and avoids the need for fusion. Patients need to remain immobilized for a much shorter time. Research also suggests that the increased mobility in the vertebrae around the disc implant may protect those vertebrae from further degeneration.”

Addressing Concerns & Misconceptions

Artificial disc replacement surgery is considered minimally invasive and the rate of success is extremely high. But procedurally, it is a slightly involved surgery.

How Surgery is Performed

Lumbar artificial disc replacement surgery, in particular, requires making an incision through the abdomen in order to then access the spine. It’s not just as simple as accessing the spine through the back.

A vascular surgeon is often involved as well to make sure that the safety of nearby blood vessels is preserved.

Risk Level & Recovery

Most surgeons wouldn’t classify artificial disc replacement as a high-risk surgery. On the contrary, the level of associated risk is quite low, and the outcome of success is quite high.

Recovery times are usually less intense than fusion, and while they can vary, they hover around 4-6 weeks for lumbar procedures and 2-4 weeks for cervical procedures.

Is Regeneration Possible?

Artificial discs are designed to replace rather than regenerate the damaged disc.

You might hear claims about “regenerating” discs, but the reality is that natural disc regeneration is limited. Artificial discs provide a long-lasting solution to the pain associated with worn down or damaged discs, “plumping up” the disc space and relieving pressure on the nerves.

How Long Disc Replacement Lasts

Unlike joint replacements, artificial disc replacements don’t have a prescribed “life”. They’re designed to last a lifetime, and removal is usually only required if the disc is mispositioned.

Who is a Candidate for Artificial Disc Replacement?

For many patients, artificial disc replacement isn’t the first procedure that is recommended. Conservative, and even nonsurgical treatments are usually prescribed first. But for some patients, disc replacement is a far superior alternative to fusion.

We recommend reading our blog “How to Know Spinal Disc Replacement Surgery is Right for You” for additional information on whether this procedure is a viable choice for your unique situation.

Here are some of the most common scenarios when disc replacement is recommended:

• You experience chronic pain, you’ve tried mitigating it with conservative treatment methods, and it isn’t going away.
• You experience radiating pain (pain that travels down the arms or legs) from pinched nerves.
• Your spinal stability is compromised, affecting your mobility.

By contrast, advanced spinal degradation, weakened bones, and prior cervical spine surgery usually are contraindications for this type of surgery.

Blog Summary:

This blog post explores how artificial disc replacement mimics natural disc movement and presents a less invasive alternative to spinal fusion for treating chronic back or neck pain. We talk about the procedure, how long the disc replacement lasts, regeneration, and who’s an ideal candidate for this type of surgery.

Learn More

We invite you to explore our blog, “The Baig Idea” for more information on treating neck and back pain, various treatment options, recovery expectations, and more. Otherwise, reach out for your evaluation to see if artificial disc replacement might be the right procedure for your needs.