title: [Total disc prosthesis for painful degenerative lumbar disc disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated clinical and radiographic results of patients treated by the ProDisc II total disc prosthesis (TDP) for painful degenerative lumbar disc disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 34 patients (25 females, 9 males; mean age 44 years; range 37 to 54 years) who underwent a total of 62 lumbar TDP procedures for degenerative lumbar disc disease. Lumbar disc replacement involved one level in 12 cases, two levels in 17 cases, three levels in four cases, and four levels in one case. Clinical and radiographic assessments were made preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Clinical evaluations were made with a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Radiographic parameters included lumbar lordotic angle, the height and flexion-extension range of the affected discs. The mean follow-up period was 29.3 months (range 24 to 39 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low back pain and lower extremity pain showed near-complete improvement up to the third postoperative month. At the end of the 24th month, preoperative ODI and VAS scores of 59.6 and 7.8 decreased to 19.8 and 1.0, respectively. Preoperative and postoperative lumbar lordotic angles were 52.6 degrees and 57.1 degrees , respectively. The mean disc height of implanted discs increased from 4.6 mm to 12.1 mm postoperatively. The mean flexion-extension angle increased from 2.8 degrees to 8.4 degrees at L5-S1, and from 2.6 degrees to 9.8 degrees at L4-5. The overall improvement in the mean flexion-extension angle was 7.2 degrees .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lumbar disc prosthesis offers significant advantages in terms of functional improvement and increased quality of life in the surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease.
authors.affiliation: Florence Nightingale Hospital, Istanbul Spine Center, Istanbul. karatoprako@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Karatoprak
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aydoğan
authors.forename: Cağatay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Cüneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mirzanli
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tezer
authors.forename: Azmi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamzaoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement; D001416:Back Pain / Q000601:surgery; D017586:Diskectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000601:surgery; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome