Advanced implants now avaiable offer a
Quality of Motion that makes them truly deserve the title
"Artificial Disc" and eliminates the need for higer risk fusion procedures.
Quality of Motion
Disc replacement technology has come a long way in the last few years, all but replacing the need for fusion globally. Improved disc replacement implants now provide a natural "Quality of Motion" unlike any of the early implant designs. Unlike the early designs, the advanced implants now available offer improved end-plate fixation, reducing implant migration and the risk of revision surgery. These implants also have motion control, to reduce post-op pain caused by early ball-in-socket implants, which can stress facet joints, ligaments, and muscles. They also have added the safety of shock absorption, to prevent injury to adjacent structures. Yes, we can now do multi-level disc replacement, lumbar and cervical disc replacement, all without many of the risks involved with early implant products still in use today.
Dr. Ritter-Lang is now offering the breakthrough Spinal Kinetics M6 implant for the Cervical and Lumbar spine. The first disc replacement implant to truly deserve the title "Artificial Disc". This implant achieves the ultimate goal of replicating the healthy human disc. By providing shock absorption and graded variable motion resistance, the M6 works in concert with the remaining human discs, to provide the best possible outcome. This "Quality of Motion" is a major benefit not available in any other implant we have seen!
Are you confused about what treatment is the best option for you? Maybe you have been told you are not a candidate for Disc Replacement. Many are told that fusion is their only option in error. Others are considering a temporary solution like discetomy, laminectomy or laser surgery.
Want some straight answers?
Dr. Ritter-Lang offers complete remote evaluations at no charge.
In order to determine what treatment is right for you, we will provide a commprehensive evaluation of your case. Your evaluation is done by our team of surgeons who are experienced with the full range of globally available options. We will then provide you with a complete written evaluation and surgery plan.
We will be your patient advocate, so you can get the truth about your options.
Evaluations can be done easily by mailing your images to us. Click here to begin the simple evaluation and scheduling process.
Disc replacement verses other surgical options Currently several options exist for treatment of disc related problems. Often early disc disease is treated with removal of all or part of the disc or adjacent bone structures. These treatments discectomy (removal of disc material) and laminectomy (removal of the bone) primarily are intended to relieve the symptoms but do not treat the underlying cause , the bad disc. In addition, discectomy and laminectomy can destabilize the level and lead to future complications and likely future surgeries. Another more invasive procedure, spinal fusion, welds the vertebra together preventing motion at that level. This creates stress on adjacent levels and almost always leads to additional surgeries.
Dr Ritter-Lang on Fusion vs. disc replacement.
Disc Replacement Superior to Fusion! A new, prospective, randomized, multi-center clinical trial, which looked at nearly 600 patients who received either disc replacement or an anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) using bone graft, has concluded that the artificial disc replacement (ADR) approach is superior to Fusion.
The investigators found that patients with Disc Replacement showed statistically better improvements than patients with fusions, as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), SF-36 PCS, back pain and patient satisfaction scores at all postoperative follow-up points.
Matthew F. Gornet, M.D., was the principal investigator and he said of the study: "If we look at ODI success as a 15-point improvement, this is the first study to ever have any group of patients to have greater than 80% success. The disc replacement [group] was able to do so at six months on. More importantly, statistically, superiority was concluded for disc replacement for 15-point improvement at 24 months compared to our fusion control [group]".
The disc replacement group also returned to work 21 days earlier, and 86% of the patients reported that they would undergo the procedure again vs. 73% for the fusion group. Ref;Total Disc Replacement versus Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion with the INFUSEŽ Bone Graft /LT-CAGEŽ Device: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, Multicenter IDE Trial
The Spine Journal, Volume 7, Issue 5, Supplement 1, September-October 2007, Page 1S
Matthew F. Gornet, J. Kenneth Burkus, Hallett H. Mathews, Randall F. Dryer and John Peloza
Quality of Life The goal of disc replacement is to return the patient to an active high quality life.
Disc Replacement, developed in Germany over 20 years ago, is now the new gold standard, and has all but eliminated the debilitating tragedy of spinal fusion (except in the US, where this process has been slowed by regulation).
Disc Replacement has now been taken to the next level, with improved implants (not yet available in the US) high risk revision surgeries have all but been eliminated, and disc replacement is now used to create multi-level solutions for both the lumbar and cervical spine. Even with fusion and adjacent to existing fusion!
Our surgeons can go beyond simple disc replacement or fusion to create a complete multi-level spine solution which can include combinations of the best disc replacment technology, stabilization, fusion, and other treatments, if needed.
Lumbar Disc Replacement See Spinal Kinetics M6 Lumbar Disc Over 200 Lumbar M6 discs have been implanted at Stenum
with no revisions required to date.
Getting the best implant is critical!
Quality of Care
Dr. Ritter-Lang uses KTQ certified facilities and provides the most advanced spine solutions and disc replacement implants available worldwide.
Our surgeons are among an elite group of the most experienced Disc Replacement surgeons in the world, and have dedicated their careers to the sub-specialty of Disc Replacement. Choosing the team that is going to do your surgery is of crucial importance. Our spine team is well trained with the latest implant technology, is highly experienced, and is doing the procedure frequently. Experience has proven that a surgical team that does more of a specific procedure will have less complications and better outcomes for their patients.
Due to regulatory restrictions, limitations of the approved products, and the inexperience of many surgeons, many patients will be exposed to unnecessary risk, get debilitating fusion surgery, or continue to suffer needlessly. Most, never knowing there are better options available, and surgeons with the experience and technology required to help them.
Many surgeons can only treat the L4-5 or L5-S1 of the lumbar spine, not L3-4, or the cervical spine. Some still think disc replacement is only a single level solution or is a new and unproven technology. This is far from the truth!
Don't take any chances!
Get an evaluation by the most experienced Disc Replacement surgeons in the world first.
Tragically, patients with severe loss of disc space, previous surgeries, more than one level needed, and many other factors may be excluded from disc replacement surgery in error. Additionally, it is quite likely that single level procedures are often performed when multi-level indications exist, resulting in poor results and risky second surgeries. Don't risk a single level procedure if you have multi-level indications. Read your reports! Many multi-level Disc Replacements are performed with great success, and L3-4 or Cervical disc replacements are quite common.
You need a surgeon with the experience and freedom to consider all the affected levels, all the treatment options, and create a total multi-level solution, as needed.
Dr. Ritter-Lang can create your spine solution from an extensive list of globally available device options. Disc replacement at levels adjacent to previously fused levels, even multi device disc replacement plus fusion procedures, for more advanced multi-level cases, are done with great success.
Disc replacement surgery requires a high level of experience, to get the correct diagnosis and surgery plan, avoid risks to vital organs, and carefully balance proper implant placement with the resulting impact of the procedure on the spine. You should only allow the most experienced spine specialists, with hundreds of abdominal approaches done, perform this complex procedure for you.
These leading surgeons are now treating international patients. Our spine specialists have placed thousands of implants and close to 1000 Americans have come to Dr. Ritter-Lang for a superior spine solution.
Choose your surgeons carefully!
Watch this video to meet Dr Ritter-Lang
and learn about advancements in disc replacement technology.
Why wait? We are scheduling surgeries now!
To begin your evaluation process; click the link below and complete the online form. Then, send images, patient data form (print and include), etc. In 2-3 weeks you will receive your diagnosis, surgery plan, cost, and scheduling options.
Click here to begin the evaluation process.
If you still have questions please contact our US Spokesperson,
Jim Rider, at 866-210-0152 (Pacific time zone).
