Got A Pain in the Neck? New Spine Procedure Could Help
A pain in the neck may soon be a thing of the past

The Spine Institute at Saint John’s is now leading the way in cervical (neck and upper back) disc replacement. In clinical trials that began with a successful cervical disc replacement surgery in August 2003, The Spine Institute’s Rick B. Delamarter, M.D. is currently performing a promising new procedure to help patients suffering from debilitating neck pain.

“Disc replacement could be the best new thing we’ve seen in 40 years,” says Delamarter. “It is unusual in any field to get a promising new treatment, but I believe disc replacement could be the evolution of spine care.”

Delamarter, who helped with the development of the cervical ProDisc, believes disc replacement surgery could replace spinal fusion surgery.

“For patients with degenerative disc disease, the protocol has been to do spinal fusion,” he says. “Spinal fusion is a good operation, but it makes patients stiff and increases the pressure on surrounding vertebrae, and the recovery period is lengthy.

"Disc replacement is changing back surgery," Delamarter said. "It’s all about restored mobility instead of limitations. Disc replacement recovery has been shown to take one-third of that time to recuperate, and cervical replacement can be done as an outpatient procedure."

The ProDisc implant replaces cartilage between vertebrae. Where spinal fusion once welded vertebrae together to end degeneration caused by friction, the ProDisc eliminates previous degeneration and allows the connected vertebrae to return to their original range of motion.

In addition, the ProDisc’s porous metal construction encourages surrounding bone to grow into the plates, recreating the original spinal structure.
Restoring Mobility

“The restoration of motion with the ProDisc is highly promising,” says Delamarter. “Patients say they are transformed. They don’t just have pain relief, the surgery restores them to the lifestyle they once had. Tennis players are back on the courts. This is an incredibly exciting time.”

When ProDisc replacement surgery was approved for lumbar spine surgery by the FDA in 2001, Delamarter was the only surgeon in California qualified to perform the procedure.

Since that time, he has relieved the lumbar pain of thousands through the insertion of an artificial disc composed of two porous metal plates and a ball bearing system made of high molecular weight polythyrene.

As the largest center in the United States for artificial disc replacement in the lower back (lumbar spine), The Spine Institute is one of only four centers in the U.S. performing the procedure.

Disc replacement trials are open to candidates ages 18 to 60. For individuals over the age of 60, Delamarter is also the first on the West Coast to test Dynesys, a non-fusion alternative for those with spinal stenosis and slippage of the vertebrae.

For more information about Saint John’s Health Center contact Saint John’s at 310-829-5511 or visit the hospital’s website at http://www.stjohns.org