Surgical Options

In cases where arm pain is caused by a cervical disc bulge or herniation or from degenerative changes producing osteophytic spurs (aka “bone spurs”), the pain is called cervical radiculopathy.

Replacing a damaged disc with an artificial disc can reduce pain in the neck or lower back.

An artificial disc (also called a disc replacement, disc prosthesis or spine arthroplasty device) is a device that is implanted into the spine to imitate the functions of a normal disc (carry load and allow motion).

Bone grafts are bone that is transplanted from one area of the skeleton to another to aid in healing, strengthening or improving function.

One of the most critical components of building, healing and remodeling bone in humans is a process called osteoinduction.

Cervical disc replacement is a surgical procedure that involves removing a damaged or degenerated cervical disc and replacing it with an artificial disc device.

Cervical laminoplasty is a surgical technique that removes pressure from the spinal cord in the neck.

If there is pain at one or more levels due to disc degeneration, the adjoining segments can be fused together to limit motion and stabilize the segment.

Laminoplasty is a surgical technique for the cervical spine, which gives more room to the spinal cord in the neck when it is compressed by disc material, bone spurs, or ligaments.

A laminectomy, or removal of the lamina, provides access to the inside of the spinal canal, and allows more room to remove a herniated disc or to open up a tight nerve hole (foramen).

Open discectomy is the most common surgical treatment for ruptured or herniated discs of the lumbar spine.

A microdiscectomy is useful to relieve pain due to a disc herniation that is pressing on a nerve.

Minimally invasive techniques for spine surgery were initiated in the 1980’s and have evolved and improved in the past three decades thanks to technical innovations.

Improvements in technology and surgical techniques over the past decade have allowed for more spine surgeries to be performed outside of the traditional hospital setting and in outpatient spine surgery centers.

Augmentation means to add to, vertebral indicates a vertebra, and percutaneous means through the skin.

Posterior cervical foraminotomy is an alternative surgical procedure to relieve symptoms of a pinched spinal nerve.

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) is an option for treating complex low back, neck or related leg or arm pain when other treatments, including surgery, have failed to significantly improve the symptoms, or when the risks of surgery may outweigh the potential benefits.

Fusion is a surgical technique in which one or more of the vertebrae of the spine are united together (“fused”) so that motion no longer occurs between them.