Motion Preserving Spine Surgeries

Motion-preserving spine surgeries are advanced surgical techniques designed to treat spinal disorders while maintaining or restoring the natural movement of the spine. These procedures are an alternative to traditional fusion surgeries, which immobilize parts of the spine. 

Diseases and conditions commonly treated with motion-preserving spine surgeries

• Degenerative Disc Disease: A condition where the intervertebral discs deteriorate, causing pain and reduced mobility. Motion-preserving procedures can relieve pain while maintaining spinal flexibility.
• Herniated Discs: Particularly those causing nerve compression and pain. Techniques like artificial disc replacement can be used to remove the damaged disc and replace it with a prosthesis that allows for natural spine movement.
• Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal that causes nerve compression. Certain motion-preserving surgeries can decompress the nerves while maintaining spine mobility.
• Spondylolisthesis: A condition where one vertebra slips forward over another. Some motion-preserving surgeries can stabilize the spine without the need for fusion.
• Facet Joint Osteoarthritis: Degeneration of the facet joints can cause pain and stiffness, and motion-preserving surgeries can address these issues while maintaining joint mobility.
• Mild to Moderate Spinal Deformities: Such as certain types of scoliosis or kyphosis, where motion-preserving surgeries can correct or stabilize the deformity without completely immobilizing the spine segment.
• Chronic Low Back Pain: In some cases, the pain is due to a specific identifiable source that can be addressed with motion-preserving techniques.
• Previous Failed Spine Surgeries: Patients who have had previous spine surgeries, particularly fusions, might benefit from motion-preserving surgeries to address adjacent segment disease or other issues.

Common Procedure

Motion-preserving spine surgeries are advanced surgical techniques that aim to treat spinal disorders while maintaining the natural movement of the spine. Common procedures under this category include:

• Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR): This procedure involves replacing a damaged spinal disc with an artificial one. It's most commonly performed in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions. ADR helps maintain normal motion and reduces stress on adjacent discs.
• Dynamic Stabilization: Unlike traditional fusion which immobilizes parts of the spine, dynamic stabilization uses flexible materials to stabilize the spine while allowing some degree of motion. This can be beneficial for conditions like degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis.
• Interspinous Process Spacers: These are devices implanted between the spinous processes (the bony protrusions on the back of the vertebrae) to alleviate pressure on spinal nerves, commonly used in treating spinal stenosis. They maintain spine mobility while preventing nerve compression.
• Facet Joint Replacement: Similar to ADR, this involves replacing the degenerated facet joints with artificial ones to preserve motion and alleviate pain, especially in cases of facet joint osteoarthritis.
• Nucleus Replacement: In this procedure, only the nucleus (gel-like center) of a damaged disc is replaced with a synthetic material, maintaining the disc’s natural motion.
• Ligament Reconstruction: This involves reconstructing or augmenting spinal ligaments to stabilize the spine while preserving its flexibility.
• Total Facet Arthroplasty: Replaces the entire facet joint, which is often necessary in more advanced cases of degeneration.

Key Advantages

• Preservation of Natural Motion: By maintaining spinal motion, patients undergoing motion-preserving surgeries experience a greater degree of normal movement compared to those undergoing fusion procedures.
• Reduced Stress on Adjacent Segments: Preserving motion in the affected segment reduces the risk of accelerated degeneration and stress on adjacent spinal segments, potentially reducing the need for future surgeries.
• Quicker Recovery and Return to Activities: Patients often experience a faster recovery and are able to return to their normal activities sooner compared to traditional fusion surgeries.
• Improved Quality of Life: The preservation of spinal motion can lead to improved overall quality of life, as patients are better able to perform daily activities with greater ease and comfort.
• Reduced Risk of Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD): By maintaining motion and reducing stress on adjacent segments, motion-preserving surgeries may decrease the likelihood of developing ASD, a potential complication of fusion surgeries.

Call 011-42888888 to book an appointment with a specialist at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute.