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Degenerative Disk Disease: Stages of Degeneration, Low Back Pain, and Insights on Intradiskal Therapies

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Advanced Concepts in Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease

Abstract

We believe the term acquired degenerative intervertebral dysfunction (ADIVD) more accurately takes into account the histological, biomechanical, and clinical features of lumbar spine degeneration than by simply labeling these patients as having “instability.” Treatment indications are a function of the four stages of a new classification for loss of stability in the degenerative lumbar spine described here. Among available intradiskal treatments, percutaneous radiofrequency techniques can be used to treat early stage diskogenic low back pain and patients with contained disk herniation as an alternative to diskectomy. Using a “memory-coiling spiral,” nucleus pulposus implant restores normal spine kinematics and maintains disk height. The results of a multicenter European study indicate that this implant design is sound, tangible, and effective, but can only be used if the outer annulus is intact.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Joanne Archambault and Réto Braunschweiler for the help provided during the preparation of this book chapter.

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Correspondence to Jean-Louis Husson MD .

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Husson, JL., Lombard, J., Cueff, F. (2016). Degenerative Disk Disease: Stages of Degeneration, Low Back Pain, and Insights on Intradiskal Therapies. In: Pinheiro-Franco, J., Vaccaro, A., Benzel, E., Mayer, H. (eds) Advanced Concepts in Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47756-4_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47756-4_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-47755-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-47756-4

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