Am I a Candidate for Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery?

Degenerating discs in the spine create several issues, including limited mobility, bone-on-bone contact, and nerve compression, each placing restrictions on daily living. In the past, spinal fusion was one of the few treatments available when a disc completely deteriorated. Artificial discs can now replace natural discs that no longer perform their duties. 

Spinal surgeon Sanjay Khurana, MD, specializes in artificial disc replacement surgery, an emerging procedure that restores natural movement and vertebrae spacing. Currently, there are limits to the conditions that artificial disc replacement can treat, so it’s important to understand what qualifies you as a candidate for this procedure. We’ve prepared this artificial disc replacement primer to inform you. 

The roles of spinal discs

Spinal discs have three jobs to perform in your spinal system. 

1. They space the bones of the spine so that there’s room to move
2. Discs are the ligaments of the spine, holding adjacent vertebrae together
3. They act as shock absorbers to spread out the loads created by movement

Discs accomplish these jobs with a combination of tissues. A sturdy outer ring called the annulus fibrosus surrounds the gel-like nucleus pulposus. When disc deterioration results in a disc rupture, the gel breaks through the outer shell, and pain results from damage to the disc itself or nerve compression caused by the escaping gel. 

Deteriorating discs lose moisture content and volume. They can deteriorate to the point where they no longer perform any of their three roles. 

Artificial disc replacement

Prosthetic discs use biologically inert metals like titanium or chromium and medical-grade plastics to create a suitable substitute. An artificial disc performs the same role as a natural disc, though in different ways. 

Rather than a “jelly donut” construction like a natural disc, artificial discs more closely resemble an ice cream sandwich. The metal plates attach to the adjacent vertebrae while the plastics fill the middle of the device. 

Are you a candidate for artificial disc replacement surgery? 

At this point, disc replacement devices have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval only for use in the lumbar region of the spine. Disc replacement surgery may be your next step if you have the following: 

• Your pain stems from one or two disks in the lower spine (lumbar region)
• There’s little to no facet joint disease present
• There’s no significant bony compression on spinal nerves
• You haven’t had previous spinal surgeries
• There’s no spinal deformity like scoliosis present
• You don’t have osteoporosis
• You’re not excessively obese

Dr. Khurana typically orders tests to confirm you as a candidate, such as CT, MRI, and X-ray images. Disc replacement won’t be the first treatment to address your back pain. Our practice considers it only after multiple conservative treatments prove unsuccessful. 

Learn more about this alternative to spinal fusion and contact Dr. Khurana’s nearest location in Marina Del Rey or Manhattan Beach, California, to book your appointment for a consultation today. You can reach either office by phone or through our online booking request. We’re ready to help you with any spine-related issue.