Cervical Disc Replacement

Cervical Spine is the spine in the neck region. The Cervical Spine is made up of vertebrae or the bones , which covers the spinal cord. This serves as a protection to the spinal cord. The individual cervical vertebrae are called as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7. There are discs between the vertebrae which act like a ‘shock absorber’. These discs help in the mobility of the spinal column. Cervical nerves branch of from the spinal cord and pass through the openings in the vertebrae.  These nerves travel into other organs and control many bodily functions and sensory activities.

A Cervical Disc Rupture causes pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots (nerve root compression) and leads to pain, weakness and tingling in the neck and arms. Such a situation occurs when the discs in the spine dehydrate or dry out because of disease or aging process. When this happens the discs lose their height and the space between the vertebrae narrows. The discs lose their ability to act as shock absorbers between the vertebrae. The loss of disc height can also make a base for bone spurs, which may rub against the spinal cord and nearby nerves.Non-surgical treatment are effective in the early stages of the neck pain. Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery is recommended if the conservative treatment options do not provide relief from pain or dysfunction. For better motion of the cervical spine, an artificial cervical disc implant or prosthesis is used as an effective alternative to the older fusion procedure. This surgery will ease the compression of spinal cord which is caused by the damaged discs in the spine. The design of the prosthesis is such that it allows a range of motion without any difficulty.