Today there is an advanced option, to treat some pathologies that affect the spine. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are used for this.. Small incisions are made and specialized appliances are used.
Spinal prostheses offer stabilization and fixation in the organ to be replaced.
A prosthesis is an artificial object, that replaces a deficient or absent member of the human body, fully or partially. The absence of the organ can be caused by accidents, malformations or diseases.
People throughout your life, sometime, may suffer from a Back pain, which can be at the muscular level or in the spine. A prosthesis is a viable option to help stabilize the spine, relieving pain, which can be located in both the cervical spine and the lumbar spine.
The spinal column of the human being has thirty-three (33) vertebras; seven (7) cervical, candy (12) dorsal, five (5) lumbar, five (5) sacral and four (4) coccygeal.
Index
Main functions of the spine
The spine has different functions, within which we will mention some of the most important.
- Support the body.
- Allow their movement.
- Help keep the center of gravity stable, both at rest and in motion.
- Protect the spinal cord.
These features may be limited, since the vertebrae are joined together by the intervertebral discs, which are exposed to suffer and produce pain from various causes:
- Carrying very heavy objects.
- Inappropriate working postures for a long time.
- About prisoner or obesity.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- By age.
- For accidents with trauma.
- Congenital malformations.
Recommendations in the use of prostheses for the spine
There are patients with symptomatic degenerative diseases of the spine, that without surgery, respond favorably to therapeutic methods. There is another group, that due to the chronic nature, pain interferes with your ability to work and participate in your daily activities.
To ensure the need to submit the patient to surgical intervention, it is important to be sure that this is the possible solution to your ailment. For this, the treating physician must perform a series of examinations, that allow you to ensure the effectiveness of the surgery.
The patient must rely on a reliable high-tech test, as it is the realization of a vertical magnetic resonance, that will allow you to make the right decision.
This test has the ability to determine exactly what level the injury to be treated is at, which may well be located in the cervical spine or in the lumbar spine.
After conducting this study, comes the choice of alternatives to carry out the implant, this is directly linked to the pathology that the patient presents, and their ability to accept a prosthesis according to their diagnosis.
Features of the spinal prosthesis
The use of prostheses in the spine, It is an option that has been carried out for some years, they are made of various materials such as stainless steel, titanium and plastic.
These materials are well accepted by the human body. The purpose of these prostheses, is to fix the vertebrae when replacement has become necessary, because it is damaged or collapsed.
Prostheses are being optimized, improving its mechanical resistance characteristics. They are emphasizing their points of effort concentration, giving optimal volumes and contours to the piece. This is done to give optimal fixation of the prosthesis to the vertebrae., and thus adapt them to the different bone structures of the spine of the human body.
Spinal prostheses are designed so that they can withstand the loads carried by the vertebrae, that vary depending on the column where they are. This advance seeks to open new alternatives to improve the development of traditional prostheses
The aim is to make prosthesis designs with specific and available characteristics according to the requirements of each patient.. We must take into account that: the cervical discs are what give it movement, and they must allow his own functions.
Lumbar discs bear the greatest load. That is why they must be able to maintain the lumbar physiological curve, and decrease the load on the joints.
Types of intervertebral disc prostheses
Total disc prosthesis. They are made of stainless steel or titanium, consisting of a piece that is attached to the upper vertebra, and another that does it with the lower vertebra. This mimics the functioning of the vertebra.
Nucleus pulposus prosthesis. They are manufactured from a variety of plastics materials capable of, retain water and form the internal part. They are like a sponge, capable of absorbing energy (impacts and forces), and deforms to give or allow flexibility in the spine.
Precautions in the use of prostheses for the spine
The use of prosthetics in the spine could generate some risk for the patient, like any surgical intervention, for having to move important parts of the body. This is a rare situation, because the surgery involves a series of procedures.
The different procedures start before the intervention, continue during the surgical process and end in the post-operative phase, since the objective is to give the best possible results to the patient.
Spinal prostheses are not recommended for patients who:
- Suffer from spondylolisthesis.
- Suffer from osteoporosis.
- Have vertebral fractures.
- They suffer from allergies to some components of the prosthesis.
- Have a spinal infection.
- Have morbid obesity.
- Have degeneration of the vertebrae.
With the implantation of these prostheses the patient returns to a normal life. You will be able to do activities that you could not before the surgery.
By regaining movement in the joint, the disease decreases, and it is unlikely that you may need another surgery in the future. Of course, without committing abuses that could put the surgery at risk..
It is evident that with the scientific and technological advance of our times, solutions have been sought that can help patients with chronic degenerative pathologies.
The design and use of prostheses, to improve mobility of the vertebral commune, it is a sample of the possibility that the patient has to recover and have a better quality of life.