Are you a candidate?

About Your Spine

Your spine is the structure that supports and stabilizes your body and allows motion. It gives you the ability to perform activities such as walking, bending and sitting. It also provides protection for your spinal cord and nerve roots.

Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other to form a column. Each vertebra has a hole in the center through which the spinal cord passes. The spinal cord contains nerves that carry signals from your brain to the rest of the body. The vertebrae are separated by soft, cushioning intervertebral discs which maintain an appropriate space to support motion and allow nerves to pass through your spine to many different parts of your body.

Disc disease occurs when the discs no longer work normally because of wear or from being injured. This can cause the vertebral bodies to compress or lose height, and they may press on the nerves or the spinal cord.

For more complete information, view the resources provided on the right and talk with your doctor.

Talking to your doctor

It is important that you talk with your doctor about your condition and symptoms. You should discuss both surgical and nonsurgical treatment options with your doctor. Only your doctor can determine if you are a good candidate for ProDisc TDR surgery.

It is very important that you let your doctor know about any allergies you have, any medications you take on a regular basis, if you are pregnant, or have any other treated or untreated illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, cardiac disease, diabetes, hepatitis, osteoporosis, previous surgeries or injuries you may have that may impact whether ProDisc is right for you.