Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? You will find the answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions
about the spine, related conditions, and treatments.

DDD stands for Degenerative Disc Disease and is one of the most common causes of neck and back pain. It refers to the breakdown of one or more discs (shock absorbing soft tissue structure between each vertebra) in the spine and is linked to neck or back pain with or without shooting pain, numbness and weakness in the arms or legs.

DDD isn't really a disease but a way to refer to the natural breakdown of spinal discs over time. DDD can lead to a loss of disc height that may cause pain, numbness or weakness in the back, arms or legs.

Yes. Sometimes, an injury causing severe damage to spinal discs can disrupt them causing a disc to bulge, stick out or lose height, regardless of the aging process.

There are several risk factors for getting DDD. The most common one is aging, as DDD is a natural, age-related process. Some other risk factors are: traumatic injury, being over weight, playing contact sports, heavy lifting and repetitive motions involving the back.

A DDD diagnosis starts with a standard questionnaire that details the patient’s symptoms and where they occur. Then, a spine specialist performs a routine physical exam of the back, arms, hands, legs and feet while testing for strength, flexibility, range of motion, reflexes and pain.

There are many surgical solutions for treating DDD depending upon a patient’s diagnosis, physical condition, surgeon’s training and many other factors. Your surgeon will discuss the options that are available for your situation. One of those options may include an anterior fusion surgical procedure called Total Disc Replacement (TDR) or Anterior Cervical Discectomy Fusion (ACDF) for neck (cervical) conditions, Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) or Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF) for low back (lumbar) conditions.

A disc replacement surgery is performed to resolve pain or discomfort in the back, neck, or extremities due to a diseased or degenerated spinal disc or discs. The procedure should be performed by a spine surgeon and can be done in a hospital or surgery center.

The goal of disc replacement surgery is to remove a diseased, often dehydrated disc and replace it with a device that enables motion within the diseased segment of the spine. By removing the diseased disc and implanting a disc replacement, your surgeon can remove the source of pain or discomfort generated from a nerve that is being pinched or compressed.

To perform a disc replacement, the surgeon will approach the spine from the front (anterior).

Once at the location of the degenerated disc, the surgeon will remove the problem disc along with any other areas of concern and replace it with a spinal device to restore the height of the disc space, which usually frees a pinched or compressed nerve. The implanted spinal device is designed to support the body’s natural healing process to achieve solid fixation between the device and the bone.

Spinal fusion surgery duration varies depending on a number of factors: patient’s health condition, number of discs being treated, surgical approach, etc. After the procedure, the patient can expect to be in the hospital for a few days and recovery can take several weeks. The spine surgeon will review the surgery specifics and recovery expectations with the patient prior to the surgery.

A spinal fusion is a surgical procedure performed to resolve pain or discomfort in the back, arms or legs due to a degenerated spinal disc or discs. The procedure should be performed by a spine surgeon and can be done in a hospital or surgery center.

The goal of spinal fusion surgery is to eliminate the motion between two or more vertebrae, the bony segments or bodies of the spine. This motion is often the source of the pain or discomfort generated from a nerve that is being pinched or compressed.

The spine surgeon attempts to eliminate the motion by fusing or joining two or more vertebrae together through the natural healing process that is supported by spinal devices, like interbody cages, bone graft substitutes, pedicle screw systems and many other similar type medical products.

To perform a spinal fusion surgery, the surgeon will approach the spine either from the front (anterior), side (lateral) or back (posterior). The approach the surgeon takes is based upon the diagnosis, patient comorbidities (other medical conditions), surgeon’s preference, education and training.

Once at the location of the degenerated disc(s), the surgeon will remove the problem disc(s) along with any other areas of concern and replace it with a spinal device to restore the height of the disc space, which usually frees a pinched or compressed nerve. The implanted spinal device will also support the body’s natural healing process to achieve a fusion between the adjacent vertebrae. In addition, the spine surgeon will also implant screws or other fixation devices to restrict the motion at the surgical site to aid the healing process as well.

Spinal fusion surgery duration varies depending on a number of factors: patient’s health condition, number of discs being treated, surgical approach, etc. After the procedure, the patient can expect to be in the hospital for up to five days and recovery can take up to eight weeks. The spine surgeon will review the surgery specifics and recovery expectations with the patient prior to the surgery.

In many cases, spine surgery may be performed as an outpatient procedure. This depends on the patient’s diagnosis, the surgical procedure, physical condition, surgeon’s training and many other factors. Your surgeon will discuss the options that are available for your situation.

An Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) procedure is a cervical (neck) spine surgical procedure that is performed from the front of the neck. During an ACDF procedure, the surgeon will remove the degenerative or diseased disc(s) and replace it with an interbody device, like STALIF Cervical, to assist in stabilizing the spine, restoring disc height and assisting with fusion or healing of the neighboring vertebral bodies so they grow together.

The time to complete a total disc replacement or an ACDF procedure depends on a variety of factors including the number of discs that require treatment, whether or not this is a reoperation and the severity of the condition. The surgeon should give you a general idea about surgical time.

An Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) procedure is a lumbar spine surgical procedure that is performed from the front of the body through the lower part of the stomach. During an ALIF procedure, the surgeon will remove the degenerative or diseased disc(s) and replace it with an interbody device, like STALIF Lumbar, to assist in stabilizing the spine, restoring disc height and assisting with fusion or healing of the neighboring vertebral bodies so they grow together.

The time to complete a total disc replacement or an ALIF procedure depends on a variety of factors including the number of discs that require treatment, whether or not this is a reoperation and the severity of the condition. The surgeon should give you a general idea about surgical time.

A Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF) procedure is a lumbar spine surgical procedure that is performed from the side of the body through the abdominal muscles. During a LLIF procedure, the surgeon will remove the degenerative or diseased disc(s) and replace it with an interbody device, like STALIF Lateral, to assist in stabilizing the spine, restoring disc height and assisting with fusion or healing of the neighboring vertebral bodies so they grow together.

The time to complete an LLIF procedure depends on a variety of factors including the number of discs that require treatment, whether or not this is a reoperation and the severity of the condition. The surgeon should give you a general idea about surgical time.

The length of hospital stay after surgery varies by procedure and patient. Typically, a patient may be discharged as early as the same day of surgery or as long as three days after surgery. Your surgeon should provide a general idea about the length of hospital stay.

The decision to go back to work should be discussed with your surgeon and decided on an individual basis. It will be based upon the type of surgical procedure performed, the results of the surgery, the type of work the patient performs, etc. Typically, a patient will return to work within one to six weeks after spine surgery, although full recovery may take up to eight weeks. Your surgeon should provide a general idea about when you can expect to return to work.

Recovery from spine surgery varies by patient and procedure. Most patients will return to their usual life activities (work, sports, shopping, cooking, etc.) within six weeks after spine surgery. For some patients, this may take longer. Your surgeon should provide a general idea about recovery time.

Many patients benefit from physical therapy following spine surgery. Only a spine surgeon can recommend physical therapy following spine surgery. Please ask your surgeon about physical therapy, the type they recommend and for how long.

It is an acronym for STand-ALone Interbody Fusion.

STALIF is a revolutionary Integrated Interbody™ device for anterior or lateral spinal fusion surgical procedures that may not require additional implants for fixation. STALIF is used during an anterior cervical or lumbar spinal fusion procedure to replace a diseased or disrupted disc to restore spinal health and support the healing process.

The STALIF Cervical device is smaller in diameter and height with a more rounded shape and is surgically implanted in the cervical spine (neck). STALIF Lumbar or Lateral are larger devices in diameter and height with a more elongated shape and is surgically implanted in the lumbar spine (back).

STALIF Cervical, STALIF Lumbar, and STALIF Lateral devices are made of polyether-etherketone (PEEK), which is a medical grade plastic, and some versions are covered with Ti-ACTIVE, a commercially pure titanium coating. All devices are designed to restore spinal alignment and height while supporting the healing or fusion process.

prodisc C and prodisc L devices are made of Cobalt Chromium and Titanium alloy, as well as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, which is a medical grade plastic. All devices are designed to restore spinal alignment and height and enable motion.

All STALIF devices have undergone standard biomechanical testing, been studied clinically and have been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

All prodisc devices have undergone extensive clinical trials in the US in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Long-term studies have been published on prodisc C and prodisc L, and over 14,000 patient experiences have been published on in over 420 peer reviewed studies.