Lifespan of artificial lumbar disc

I think lumbar disc herniation is a very serious disease and should be taken seriously by most people. Because when the lumbar disc herniation becomes serious to a certain extent, it is necessary to remove the human body's own lumbar vertebra and replace it with an artificial lumbar vertebra. This will avoid frequent lumbar pain and numbness of the lower limbs. If a person has an artificial lumbar disc replaced, how long will the disc last?

Artificial lumbar disc replacement: If the intervertebral disc has been severely degenerated or herniated, the entire lumbar disc can be removed and replaced with an artificial disc. Artificial lumbar discs have been developed for several generations, and the latest products are able to allow movement in multiple directions and achieve longer service life. However, due to the limitations of the materials, structure, service life and patient indications (such as recurrent low back pain) of artificial lumbar discs, the popularity of this surgery is not very high. The main reason is that it is difficult for artificial discs to integrate well with other tissues and organs of the human body.

Vertebral fusion: After the diseased lumbar intervertebral disc is completely removed, there is another option to do without the intervertebral disc. Cut a part of bone tissue from the vertebral plate and place it between the upper and lower lumbar vertebrae, then fix them with steel nails. The two lumbar vertebrae will slowly grow together and become one.

The advantage of this surgery is that the original damaged lumbar disc will never cause problems again because it is gone forever. But it has a big hidden danger. The human spine is a complex system. When people do various activities, all intervertebral discs have to share the force. When one of them is permanently removed, the force on the two adjacent upper and lower intervertebral discs will increase significantly. Correspondingly, the two intervertebral discs will wear and degenerate at a faster rate, which greatly increases the chance of problems.

Therefore, surgical treatment should be chosen with caution. Patients can try to choose a safe, healthy and effective treatment method based on their own medical conditions.