Abstract
Anterior cervical discectomy with or without fusion is an acceptable surgical method for the treatment of cervical spondylosis or other spinal disc diseases. A spinal device may be used to immobilize the operated/injured region to promote bony fusion. Clinical studies have shown that motion at spinal segments adjacent to a fused region increases over time and may cause adjacent segment problems [Chow et al., 1996; Lee et al., 1988]. Multiple factors have been implicated, including the number of levels fused, health condition, post-operative alignment, and rigid fixation. An alternative approach to fusion surgery of the cervical spine is to restore the motion to the diseased joint using a movable artificial cervical joint (MACJ). The objective of the study was to determine the biomechanical stability of the harvested and instrumented cervical spine tested under physiologic flexion/extension and lateral bending loading mechanics. The instrumented spine consisted of a single level discectomy with subsequent disc replacement using a prototype artificial intervertebral disc implant by the Sofamor Danek Group, Memphis, TN.
