Transplant in the USA??? I'd like to read about that.
I saw this data presented at NASS 2007 in Austin, TX. It was standing room only in the breakout session for this VERY interesting presentation.
The disc is harvested with both endplates intact, so the whole functional unit with the annulus and everything attached is there. Blending of the patient's bone to the donor bone has a high chance of success. As I type this, I don't know about the integrity of the PLL and ALL (posterior and anterior longitudinal ligaments), but with ADR procedures, they seem to be redundant, so I assume that they are not required. \
Interesting stuff... it's just hard to get a young, healthy person to donate their cervical discs because your neck hurts. I don't think we'll see this widely used any time soon.
All the best,
Mark
|