Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty: State of the Data

Millions of people worldwide suffer from degenerative disk disease. When conservative measures fail, patients often pursue more aggressive treatment options, including surgery. Lumbar fusion is the standard surgical treatment for this malady, but it is imperfect. Many forward-thinking spine surgeons have been drawn to the concept of lumbar disc arthroplasty. Herein we review the available literature on in vivo human clinical trials involving the currently available prostheses for lumbar disc arthroplasty. During this review, we hope to put in context both the achievements and the failures of these prostheses.