Choosing ADR or fusion

[teg]

Hi Sharman,

Thoughtful post and some very good questions. I can share with you what I have learned during the past 5 years in my spine research.

ADR has a quicker recovery time that fusion procedure of similar levels. A criterion noted in FDA approval.

The bone matter that is cleared away for the keel is reabsorbed by the vertebral bones. I asked this question before my ADR surgery.

The facet joints are removed during fusion surgery. Facet joints, in most cases return to normal function after ADR. If facet degeneration has not started prior to surgery, it is unusual for ADR to cause facet degenration.

Nerve damage during surgery is a by product of how the surgeon gains access to the spine. Any access point to the spine, anterior or posterior, will have some nerve involvement. For men, the anterior approach for fusion or ADR carries and additional risk.

Osteoporosis is usually a result of oral steriods and medications. I have not heard of osteoporosis being linked to a surgical procedure. Can you verify?

Consider the cause for surgery - was the painful disc created as a result of trauma or degenerative process? Degenerative process can cause adjacent level disease quicker than trauma-related disc pain. I had a single level fusion done in my neck and I experienced adjacent level disease in less than a year post op.

A fusion can be performed on previous ADR site(s) without removing ADR. I believe it is important to research the ADR implants and their associated failure rates.

Lastly, I found that selecting my surgical procedure was my first step. Once I found my surgeon to do the procedure that I preferred, I was confident that the surgeon had the experience for proper placement, size selection, and everything else. Your concern on this topic is right on target, but please not that it applies to ADR and fusion. Even though fusion is a more common procedure, a good surgeon will use good hardware and have great surgical acument.

Best of luck to you.