Now here is an interesting developing story. The artificial spinal disc created by researchers Anton Bowden  and Larry Howell from Brigham Young University means that synthetic disc that may be used in the future as replacement discs in our spine. It behaves in a very similar way to the human intervertebral disc however is more durable.

Here is an excerpt of the article as it appeared in punemirror.in yesterday

 Artificial Spinal Disc Created By Researchers

artificial disc

A new prosthetic that duplicates the natural motion of the spine while remaining durable, could replace worn out spinal discs to treat chronic low back pain.

 

In between the vertebrae of the human spine are 23 Oreo-sized, cartilage-filled discs that hold the vertebrae together and allow for spine movement.

 

While the discs are critical for movement, they can become the source of back pain when they degenerate or herniate.

 

A new biomedical device to surgically treat chronic back pain — an artificial spinal disc that duplicates the natural motion of the spine has been created by researchers from Brigham Young University.

 

The BYU researchers report on the mechanism’s ability to facilitate natural spine movement in a study published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Spine Surgery.

 

“Low back pain has been described as the most severe pain you can experience that won’t kill you,” said Anton Bowden, a biomechanics and spine expert.

 

“This device has the potential to alleviate that pain and restore the natural motion of the spine — something current procedures can’t replicate.”

 

Currently, the most common surgical treatment for chronic low back pain is spinal fusion surgery.

 

Fusion replaces the degenerative disc with bone in order to fuse the adjacent segments to prevent motion-generated pain.

 

Unfortunately, patient satisfaction with fusion surgery is less than 50 per cent.

 

The BYU solution consists of a compliant mechanism that facilitates natural spine movement and is aimed at restoring the function of a healthy spinal disc.

 

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If this were to eventuate and get FDA approval and is used to replace the human discs – it would be a massive development in back pain treatment. It would mean anyone with prolapsed or herniated discs would have a disc replacement as an option. As spinal fusion has a success rate of under 50%, and other disc operations are often fraught with risks and high failure rates, it may in fact be the light at the end of the tunnel for disc pain sufferers. This artificial spinal disc created by researchers at Brigham Young University may one day offer relief for many disc herniation sufferers.

For more info on back pain and potential disc pain treatment, please sign up for our free book The 7 Day Back Pain Cure available on our site above.