When vertebral discs degenerate, a number of symptoms, such as pain and muscle weakness, can result. Spinal fusion, a surgical procedure involving the removal of the disc and the fusion of the vertebral bones above and below it, has long been an option in the treatment of disc degeneration. But spinal fusion's side effects, such as loss of mobility, often prompt patients to seek alternatives.
Microdiscectomy
Microdiscectomy, also known as microdecompression, is a less extreme option for those seeking relief from degenerative disc symptoms. Dr. Peter F. Ullrich, an orthopedic surgeon with NeuroSpine Center of Wisconsin, explains that microdiscectomy involves the surgical removal of small pieces of vertebral bone or disc, rather than removal of the entire disc, as is done in spinal fusion procedures. The goal of microdiscectomy is to eliminate the obstruction that is placing pressure on the spinal nerve root, allowing the nerve to begin to repair itself.
Artificial Disc Replacement
Cedars Sinai Medical Center touts artificial disc replacement as "a reversible, viable alternative to fusion that possibly avoids the accepted shortcomings of fusion." This procedure involves removing the damaged disc and replacing it with an artificial disc. This procedure has advantages over spinal fusion in that it does not limit spinal mobility and allows for normal spacing between the vertebrae above and below the affected disc.
Posterior Motion Preservation Devices
As an alternative to spinal fusion, Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, orthopedic surgeon and co-founder of the Texas Back Institute, states that posterior motion preservation devices offer a minimally invasive solution that preserves spinal mobility. Interspinous process spacers are posterior motion preservation devices that hold open the channels through which spinal nerves pass, and relieve the weight load on the intervertebral discs.
Another type of posterior motion preservation device, called a dynamic stabilization system, acts as an internal brace that allows movement in the vertebral joints, while supporting them against instability. They have been used as an adjunct to spinal fusion and are being studied for use on their own.
Intradiscal Electrothermal Annuloplasty
The Comprehensive Spine Center at UCLA states that intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty is helpful in strengthening a damaged intervertebral disc. Using a copper coil heated to a high temperature, heat is applied to the disc, which hardens and stabilizes it.
