Who is a Candidate for Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery?
The lumbar artificial disc is an alternative to spinal fusion surgery. Its purpose is to maintain the basic motion of the disc, thereby protecting the adjacent discs against the increased stress that is present with fusion. • Age 18-60 years • Degenerative disc disease at one level, between L4 and L5 or between L5 and S1. Degenerative disc disease is defined as a disc that has worn out or becomes injured and causes back pain • Patients have failed at least 6 months of treatment such as pain medication, physical therapy, facet joint injections, and epidural steroid injection therapy. • Mechanical back pain at the operative level determined by provocative discogram. This is a diagnostic test that pressurizes the disc in question. A normal disc will not cause pain. An abnormal or degenerated disc when pressurized, will replicate the patient’s pain pattern.
