Todd Lanman, MD, Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, Beverly Hills, Calif.: Over the past decade, artificial disc replacement has become an attractive option for patients with degenerative disc disease who would benefit from surgical treatment. Artificial disc replacement is now a compelling rival to the current standard of care for this patient population, vertebral disc fusion. In fact, I anticipate artificial disc replacement may eclipse vertebral fusion in the very near future since replacement provides similar symptom relief to fusion with one important advantage: preserved range of motion in the spine.
