What is an artificial cervical disc? An artificial cervical disc is a special device that mimics a normal human cervical disc. When a person suffers from cervical spondylosis or acute cervical disc herniation that requires surgery, the diseased disc is removed and an artificial disc is implanted in the place of the original disc to replace it and perform its function. What is the function of the artificial cervical disc? The artificial cervical disc mimics the function of a normal human cervical disc. It acts as a shock absorber to absorb vibrations from the ground, and also rebuilds and maintains the height of the intervertebral space that has been lost due to pathology, etc. The most important function of the artificial disc is to maintain the movement of the intervertebral joints and to protect the adjacent segments from secondary degeneration. The traditional method of cervical spine surgery is to remove the diseased disc and then place bone graft between the upper and lower vertebrae to fill the space left by the disc removal and to promote complete fusion of the upper and lower vertebrae together for the purpose of radical treatment. However, cervical fusion often leads to premature degeneration called secondary degeneration due to the increased stress on the adjacent segmental discs. The artificial cervical disc protects the adjacent discs from premature degeneration because it maintains the movement of the intervertebral space in the segment. What type of surgery is an artificial cervical disc replacement? Artificial cervical disc replacement surgery is performed through an anterior cervical approach, pushing through the trachea and esophagus, protecting the large blood vessels and nerves, removing the disc tissue from the diseased segment, relieving the spinal cord and nerve root compression, and implanting an artificial disc prosthesis in the original location of the disc. The first half of the surgery is no different than a traditional discectomy + fusion – the diseased disc is removed. However, the second half of the procedure is completely different. In a fusion, a bone block is implanted into the intervertebral space to fill the “gap,” whereas in an artificial cervical disc replacement, an artificial disc prosthesis is implanted into the intervertebral space. Who is a candidate for artificial cervical disc replacement surgery? Generally speaking, patients who need a cervical discectomy due to cervical spondylosis or acute cervical disc herniation may be candidates for artificial cervical disc replacement surgery. However, with the current state of the art, this new technology is not yet available to all patients, so the patient’s cervical spine must meet a number of additional criteria: including the absence of severe narrowing and segmental instability in the intervertebral space requiring surgery due to disc degeneration. In addition, certain pathologies are not suitable for artificial cervical disc replacement surgery, including: trauma, tumor, infection, and osteoporosis.