Radiographic Evaluation in Lumbar Total Disc Replacement: Assessment of Potential Candidacy and Range of Motion

The impetus for motion preservation in the treatment of degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine is to protect the adjacent levels from accelerated or de novo degeneration. Our ability to reliably and precisely measure, analyze, and understand resultant lumbar motion following implantation of a motion-preserving device is therefore indispensable to the proper interpretation of results from clinical studies. The first section of this article highlights current imaging techniques and strategies utilized in the preoperative evaluation of a potential candidate for lumbar total disc replacement. In the second section of this article, we describe current and novel imaging techniques that are used to evaluate range of motion and the lumbar kinematic profile that results following implantation of a lumbar total disc replacement.