I have signed up to be one of the first patients to get an artificial disc replacement at our university hospital. What can I expect the implant to do and how long will it last?

The perfect results would be full, pain free motion for the rest of your life. The artificial disc replacement (ADR) is designed to do everything a human disc does. This means normal motion in all directions. The ADR would also transmit loads across the disc spaces while protecting the joints.

Not only that but the new disc implants are expected to do all these things over and over for years and years. They should last without failure or wear for the rest of your life.

Do they really do all these things now? We don’t know yet. ADRs haven’t been used long enough to collect results years after implantation. You will be part of the early data collected and reported. Good luck!