The role and function of the spine Stability The spine provides stability to the head and upper body and maintains posture. The main role is played by the vertebrae. The vertebral body has a box-like shape. This anatomical shape allows for better resistance to top-down stresses and prevents fractures, such as jumping, climbing stairs, and walking. Lu Ning, Department of Orthopedics, Beijing 301 Hospital The mechanically protected vertebral body and arch encase the spinal cord and provide protection. Anatomically, the upper and lower vertebrae are stacked on top of each other to form the spinal column. The spinal cord and nerve pathways are located within the spinal canal. Shock absorbing and mobile discs are located between the vertebral bodies. These disc-like cushions act as “shock absorbers” to absorb shock. The discs are connected to the vertebral body to facilitate rotation, stretching and neck flexion movements. Degeneration of the spine Degeneration of the spine includes all of the pathological changes in the vertebrae, discs, ligaments and intervertebral joints that are associated with natural aging. These changes can greatly limit the motion and stability of the spine. Some unnatural gravitational distributions can compromise spinal stability, such as genetic deformities or secondary to a sedentary lifestyle. Previous disc or spinal surgery can also compromise spinal stability. Any form of instability may exacerbate the source of pain. Herniated discs Degenerative changes as described above or strong, sharp movements can lead to disc tears. The nucleus pulposus (or soft internal material) escapes from the disc through the tear causing the disc to bulge. In other words, the disc bulges outward. When the nucleus pulposus breaks out completely, the disc is said to be prolapsed or herniated. When the soft nucleus pulposus not only protrudes from the disc but also completely separates from the disc, it is called a free disc. The result is that there is no longer any connection between the disc and the prolapsed tissue. A bulging disc or herniated soft nucleus pulposus can compress the nerves. Depending on the location of the bulging disc, this can produce pain or numbness in the back of the neck, upper extremities and shoulders. In some severe pathologies, a herniated disc can lead to paralysis. The goal of artificial cervical disc therapy is to re-establish normal spinal function and thereby significantly reduce pain. The prosthesis reconstructs and maintains the disc height to achieve the therapeutic goal. Increasing the intervertebral height and removing the herniation, enlarging the compressed neural pathways and reconstructing the intervertebral joints and restoring their physiological position. Prior to the invention of artificial discs, the only surgical option was fusion. Fusion permanently heals the adjacent vertebrae together with an insert, bone chips and/or an intervertebral fusion device. The purpose of an artificial disc prosthesis is to maintain the motion of the affected segment and to reduce the additional stress on the adjacent disc. This prevents rapid degeneration of the adjacent segment discs and reduces secondary damage due to adjacent segment lesions. Postoperative Situation Hospitalization is required after surgery. You can start walking on the first postoperative day because the prosthesis gains timely stability under stress and motion after implantation. You can usually be discharged from the hospital 4-5 days after surgery. Artificial disc replacement, as an advanced treatment technique, represents the direction of surgical treatment for disc disease. The Department of Orthopedics of the PLA General Hospital is the first unit in Asia to perform artificial disc replacement in the cervical spine. At present, hundreds of surgeries have been carried out, with the longest follow-up period reaching 5 years, and excellent clinical results have been achieved. The Department of Orthopedics of PLA General Hospital also performs artificial disc replacement in the lumbar spine, and has also achieved satisfactory results.