Artificial cervical disc a boon for spinal problem

Chennai: Often, people ignore sym­pt­oms of spinal diseases, si­nce they do not consider them to be a serious pro­blem, thereby not just inc­reasing the gravity of the problem but also thr­owi­ng it beyond the ran­ge of drug-based medication, say neurosurgeons.

According to a research study published in Curr­ent Reviews in Mus­culo­skeletal Medicine 2011, in a lifetime, degenerative spine disorders can affect two-thirds of the world’s population.

“Degenerative disc disease is a condition that can occur in the neck or lower back and cause significant pain. The best part is advancement in medical technology that has made it possible to not just treat spine problems but also restore its characteristic motion almost completely,” says Dr Venkateshwara Prasa­n­­na, consultant neurosurgeon at Fortis Malar Hospital.

While conventional m­et­­h­ods are used to treat such problems like fusing two vertebrae, fusion the­r­apy reduces the space and mobility of the spine and increases stress on other adjoining vertebrae. For young patients like those who are in the 30s or early 40s, instead of conventional method, artificial cervical disc replacement therapy can be done.

“In artificial cervical disc replacement therapy, the old and diseased disc is replaced with a prosthetic device (a disc) which is specially designed to maintain mobility in treated vertebral section. Some patients may require just medication and exercises. But others, especially those who are neurologically deficit, require surgery,” he added.

In case of artificial cervical disc replacement, patients have quicker recovery and can continue their day-to-day activities.