Motion Preservation Surgery: A Guide to Preserving Spinal Health
Taking care of your spine is important to maintaining your mobility and balance. You can easily perform daily movements and avoid dealing with chronic neck/back pain.
But if your spinal health isn’t in optimal condition and you’re suffering from problems like degenerative disc disease, you may need to undergo motion preservation surgery.
It’s a form of artificial disc replacement that aims to address spinal conditions without hindering the patient’s spine mobility.
Learn about this procedure for disc disease that preserves spinal mobility. Discover its benefits in this article.
What is Motion Preservation Spine Surgery?
Motion preservation spine surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that preserves natural motion in the spine.
Unlike conventional spine surgery, where the vertebrae are fused metal hardware, this surgery replaces the damaged disc with an artificial implant.
This artificial implant promotes a greater range of motion compared to spinal fusion surgery, where the screws and rods limit spine movement.
Because this procedure uses minimally invasive techniques and motion preservation devices, patients can recover faster compared to spinal fusion.
One example of motion preservation surgery is cervical disc replacement. This method replaces a herniated disc in the cervical spine with an artificial disc to restore movement and alleviate neck pain.
What Are the Benefits of Motion Preservation Surgery?
Motion preservation surgery provides a whole host of benefits for patients who are looking for alternative solutions to fix their spinal disorders. These are:
Preservation of Spinal Mobility and Flexibility
This surgery can help preserve motion and maintain better spinal cord alignment.
For patients suffering from lumbar spine problems, motion preservation surgery can eliminate the need for lumbar fusion when addressing lower back issues.
Reduced Risk of Adjacent Segment Disease
Patients can reduce the risk of degenerative disc disease or disc issues in adjacent vertebrae through motion preservation surgery.
A neurosurgeon will use posterior dynamic stabilization devices to ensure that stress is dispersed more evenly along the vertebral column.
Improved Quality of Life
Motion preservation surgery helps maintain the spine’s natural biomechanics.
This leads to improved spine functionality and huge quality of life improvements when performing daily activities.
Lower Risk of Complications
Traditional spinal fusion can come with complications like pseudarthrosis (failure of the bone to fuse the vertebrae) and nerve damage. Motion preservation surgery circumvents this by replacing the damaged disc with an artificial implant.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Motion Preservation Surgery?
A neurosurgeon will typically recommend motion preservation surgery for patients with the following spinal conditions:
- Disc herniation: Patients with a herniated disc that is causing significant pain or neurological symptoms but still have good disc height and minimal degenerative changes.
- Degenerative disc disease: Patients with mild to moderate degenerative disc disease who want to avoid the limited mobility that comes with spinal fusion.
- Spinal stenosis: Individuals with spinal stenosis, particularly if it is causing nerve compression, do not have severe instability or deformity in their spine.
- Young and active patients: Young and active individuals who want to avoid functional limitations with spinal fusion and maintain a higher level of physical activity.
- Minimally degenerated spinal joints: Patients whose facet joints (the joints in the back of the spine) are not significantly degenerated or arthritic, as these joints play a crucial role in spinal motion.
- Limited spinal levels affected: Patients who have issues confined to one or two levels of the spine, as this is typically more suitable for motion-preserving techniques.
What to Expect After Having Motion Preservation Surgery
The good news with motion preservation surgery is the recovery period is quicker than traditional spinal fusion surgeries. Here’s what to expect after the surgery is complete:
Post-Operative Care
It’s completely normal for patients to experience some level of pain and discomfort after surgery. During this time, your surgeon will prescribe pain medications to help manage the pain and address soreness.
The surgical area will then be monitored for signs of infection or complications. Typically, motion preservation surgery only requires a few days of hospital stay.
Recovery Phase
During the recovery phase, your focus should be rest and gradual movement. This recovery is often accompanied by physical therapy to gradually restore movement.
Activities that strain the spine should be avoided, and patients are advised to follow a specific rehabilitation plan tailored by their healthcare provider.
After roughly six weeks, your spine will fully heal, and you can resume your normal activities.
Long-Term Outlook
Thanks to advancements in spine surgery, the long-term outlook for motion preservation is very promising. Patients who undergo the procedure can often return to their normal activities with improved function and reduced pain compared to pre-surgery levels.
Your neurosurgeon will schedule a follow-up checkup to monitor the condition of the disc implant. Depending on their evaluation, the surgeon might recommend a maintenance program with exercises to strengthen the back and maintain flexibility.
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery With Maxim Spine
Maxim Spine is one of the leading spine centers in New Jersey that specializes in minimally invasive motion preservation surgery like cervical disc replacement.
If you want to maintain spinal mobility and become free of chronic neck/back pain, Maxim Spine is your number one choice.
Give them a call at (862) 356-5442 or book an appointment by filling out this form.
FAQ About Motion Preservation Surgery
Is motion preservation surgery painful?
There’s minimal pain involved with motion preservation surgery due to the minimally invasive techniques used.
How long will it take to recover from motion preservation surgery?
The average recovery time for motion preservation surgery can range from 2 to 12 weeks.
How long will the implant last?
Artificial disc implants are designed to last for at least 10 years. However, their longevity can vary based on factors such as the patient’s activity level, the type of implant used, and adherence to postoperative care.
