A new surgical technique called total disk replacement is in the Clincal Trial stage in the United States. The surgery uses titanium and plastic to replace worn out intervertebral disks.
Typically, when a patient with a degenerated disk or disks needs surgery, a spinal fusion is performed. The spinal fusion decreases pain, but also decreases mobility.
The total disk replacement proponents say that because there is an area of the spine that can't move after a spinal fusion has been performed, stress is placed on the vertebral joints above and below. They say that total disk replacement will restore normal motion of the spine in the diseased area, without causing pain.
Because this surgery is so new, there has been no opportunity for researchers to gather long term outcome information.
