One and Two Level Artificial Disc Replacement are Effective in Treating Disc Problems in the Neck

Monday, April 24, 2017 | Los Angeles, California

During the recent American Association of Neurological Surgeons meeting in Los Angeles,  Dr Jeffrey McConnell  presented a paper which explored the results of one of the longest follow-up studies on cervical total disc replacement to date.

“Comparison of the Long Term Results of One-Level vs Two-level Cervical Total Disc Replacement and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion”, compared patients who received fusion surgery vs patients who received artificial disc replacement surgery at one or two discs in the neck.

The highlights:

  • After 7 years, patients who received the Prestige-LP two level artificial disc replacement had superior overall clinical results when compared to the fusion patients.
  • One and 2-level artificial disc replacement appear to be equally safe and effective in the treatment of cervical disc disease at 7 years
  • Patients receiving two artificial disc replacements did equally as well as patients receiving one level disc replacement.
  • Patients who received cervical fusion had higher reoperation rates at the index and adjacent disc levels.

These long-term clinical results demonstrate the effectiveness of total disc replacement at 2 contiguous levels in the cervical spine and the importance of maintaining motion in the cervical spine.

Cervical artificial disc replacement is a type of joint replacement procedure. An artificial disc, such as the Prestige LPTM cervical disc made by Medtronic, is placed between two adjacent cervical vertebrae to replace a diseased cervical disc. It is designed to maintain the distance between two adjacent cervical vertebrae.

The Prestige-LP two level artificial disc replacement.

Cervical total disc replacement has been demonstrated to be a very effective alternative to the traditional surgery of fusion for painful herniated discs in the neck.  Total disc replacement in the neck is more successful because it maintains normal motion in the neck while fusion eliminates motion.  This preservation of motion is key to minimizing the degeneration of adjacent cervical discs.

Learn more about cervical disc replacement.