Artificial Disc Replacement vs Spinal Fusion

Artificial disc replacement vs spinal fusion These are the two most common procedures for treating spine-related injuries and illnesses. Artificial disc replacement is a procedure that replaces the patient’s damaged or degenerated disc with titanium metal sheets, while spinal fusion is a procedure that will permanently connect two or more vertebrae in the patient’s spine. Most of the time the patient will be advised to go for non-surgical therapy to make it a more natural way of letting the spine heal itself for a given time, but for patients who are already in need of an emergency spine treatment, they can fall within these two procedures both of which has risk and benefits. In the past, the most common treatment given to patients is spinal fusion because the procedure mimics the natural process of healing the bones and it is proven safe and effective for most patients.

But with the advancement of technology in modern medicine, there has been a secondary treatment being introduced aside from spinal fusion which is the artificial disc replacement surgery where the patient will undergo an operation that would replace his/her damaged damage or degenerated disc with an artificial disc that is made from titanium plates that can last a lifetime making the patient recover faster. Both these treatments have downside the spinal fusion treatment’s downside is that it takes longer for the patient to recover and he/she must undergo extensive physical therapy to fully recover after the surgery, while the artificial disc replacement downside is that not all patients are eligible for the treatment because of the structure of the spine if it still be able to handle a new disc.

Between the two treatments, it all boils down to the overall status of the patient’s spine and the recovery time of the patient because both of the treatments can still have the risk of not being successful which is why it is very important that an individual must learn how to properly take care and keep his/her spine healthy in the long run by having regular check-up, healthy life style and minimizing physical activities that endangers the spine. For patients who have undergone at least one of these two procedures, the only difference is the mobility of the spine after successful surgery because it really boils down to the patient’s ability to recover and get back to his/her normal living after this long and grueling procedure that can literally change his/her life.