Defining Cervical Disk
Cervical disk syndrome is the neurosurgical condition that is caused by displacement or compression of cervical cord or root. It can be characterized by
- radicular– suboccipital
- cervical, interscapular
- thoracic pain
Which radiates into the upper extremities, aggravated by movement and accompanied by paresthesias. Cervical Disk may be accompanied by muscle fasciculation’s, spasms, and atrophy, and spastic bladder Diagnosis Narrowed disk spaces,
osteophytes, or spinal stenosis by radiology, myelography. Most of the cervical disk syndromes are caused by injuries that involve hyperextension.
The cervical disc is a disk-shaped piece of specialized tissue that separates the vertebral bones of the spinal column in the neck.
When the disc has ruptured, it creates pressure against one or more of the spinal nerves which can cause pain, weakness or numbness in the neck and arm.
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The nucleus is the center of the disk. It is soft, springy and is able receives shock because of standing, walking, running, etc.
There is a ring that at the outer side the ring, it is called annulus. It provides structure and strength to the disc.
Also, it consists of complex interwoven layers of fibrous tissue that are responsible for holding the nucleus in place.
If part of the disc has moved out of normal position where it used to be it will cause pressure on the spinal cord in the center or on the individual nerve roots that exit from the spinal canal.
Over time, the body’s reaction to a disrupted disc is the formation of bone spurs called osteophytes which can also cause pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.
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Disc disruption and degeneration can cause neck pain as well as cause neurologic symptoms which may include pain, numbness or weakness that radiates from the neck into one or both arms.
Dr. Arun Saroha, is a degenerative spine disorder and disc replacements, specialist. He was Awarded “Best Spine Surgeon”
by BIG RESEARCH AWARDS at New Delhi 2013. Dr. Arun Saroha has also been a neurosurgeon at PGIMER, Chandigarh. He explains the process of treatment for Cervical Disk
Process of treatment
The initial treatment for cervical disc disease generally involves physical therapy, medications, and occasionally spinal injection procedures.
If the symptoms continue to persist for more than 6-12 weeks, surgical treatment can be considered. The most common and traditional treatment for symptomatic cervical disc disease involves an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery.
The anterior cervical discectomy and fusion technique
In this technique, an incision is made in the front of the neck. Therefore allowing the surgeon to remove the damaged and protruding disc in order to relieve any pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. After the disc is removed,
the gap that has been created between the two bones is then filled with a piece of bone graft or with a synthetic cage device. Once the pressure on the nerves is relieved,
Cervical Disk Replacement Surgery
procedure has to cause the two bones to grow together which is called a fusion, resulting in a complete loss of any kind of motion at the surgical level.
In the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedure, a plate with screws is applied to the front of the spine to provide initial stability which assists in achieving a solid fusion.
After that the fusion, patients are often immobilized for up to six weeks in a cervical collar. A disc replacement device composes of two metallic surfaces one of which is attached to the upper and the other to the lower vertebra at the affected disc level.
These metal implants can then slide on each other directly or can be separated by a piece of medical grade plastic. The device allows for movement between the two vertebrae to be maintained and avoids the need for a fusion.