Device Based
Since the early 1900s, surgeons have addressed serious problems in the spine with “fusion,” a method for stabilizing spinal segments by fusing vertebrae together. This practice continues today in every US state and in most countries throughout the world. Many patients find pain relief with this surgery and regain an active life after the recovery process. Spinal fusion has been performed at every level of the spine; the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and even sacral regions. While fusion may address some or all of the pain, it also arrests motion. Fusion also may not address the original causes of the problem—especially if the pain is caused by a degenerative disease.
In the 1980s, artificial disc replacement was developed in Europe, where it has been practiced ever since. At this writing, the reports on spinal disc replacement are mixed from both patients and doctors. Though there’s no consensus, there seems to be favorable outcomes with disc replacement in both the short and the long term. The practice of spinal arthroplasty (preserving motion in the spine) effectively began in the United States in 2000, with the first artificial disc implanted in the spine of a Texas patient, using the Charite’ artificial disc. We call the procedure for receiving an artificial disc “ADR,” or artificial disc replacement.
Since then, thousands of US patients have had the surgery for both lumbar and cervical levels. While many have had lumbar and cervical ADR surgery in the United States, thousands of spine patients with multilevel disc disease(s) have traveled overseas to have multi-level disc replacement, as the FDA currently only approves multiple ADR for certain applications called “compassionate use.” In addition, though lumbar ADR was FDA-approved in 2004, many insurance companies continue to refuse coverage to their insured subscribers.
The Arthroplasty Patient Foundation recognizes the complex challenges patients face in treating their debilitating pain. We also recognize the complications involved in seeking treatment: insurance coverage for modern procedures, lack of consensus on clinical studies, poor diagnostics for degenerative disc diseases, and lack of financial resources needed to organize a holistic approach to treatment. These concerns, amongst others, led to the birth of the Arthroplasty Patient Foundation in 2006.
