title: Minimally invasive total disc replacement: surgical technique and preliminary clinical results.
abstract: Total disc replacement has become an option for the treatment of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. A new generation of implants has been developed that can be implanted through minimally invasive anterior approaches to the lumbar levels L2/3, L3/4, L4/5 and L5/S1. However mid- and long-term data are still lacking. This paper describes the minimally invasive surgical approach - techniques as well as the preliminary results of our first 34 consecutive patients. The intervertebral spaces L5/S1, L4/5, L3/4 and L2/3 were each approached through slightly different, but standardized, mini-laparotomies either through a retroperitoneal or a transperitoneal route. The clinical results with a follow-up of up to 1 year show satisfactory outcomes in about 80% of the patients. Oswestry score as well as VAS values show significant changes during the postoperative course. There have been three complications (8.8%), two of which were specific to the implantation process, but were resolved with a good clinical outcome in both patients. The preliminary results suggest that total disc replacement may become a reasonable alternative to spinal fusion under the selection criteria used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Spine Center, Orthopedic Clinic Munich-Harlaching, Harlachinger Strasse 51, 81547 Munich, Germany. MMayer@schoen-kliniken.de
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wiechert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korge
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Qose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome